


Warts and All

by OkieDokieLoki



Series: The Warrior and the Scholar [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Character Death, F/M, Mpreg, Not Thor: The Dark World Compliant, Parent Loki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-27
Updated: 2017-02-27
Packaged: 2018-09-27 08:10:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 81
Words: 157,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9984518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OkieDokieLoki/pseuds/OkieDokieLoki
Summary: Part 2 in the Warrior and the Scholar series.Loki has completed his prison sentence by ridding the worlds of Thanos, and is reunited with his beloved Aiko. With a surprise from Thor and Jane, his life is set on a path that he did not expect. Will he rise to the challenge or fall back into his monstrous ways?





	1. Chapter 1

**Asgard**

  
“Yes, we are certain that that is what we want, All-Father, All-Mother. It is for the best.” Jane and Thor stood alone in the grand hall of Asgard kneeling before the throne that the All-Father presided in. Frigga stood to his right, watching her husband’s blank face for any sort of reaction.

  
Gathering his thoughts, Odin’s single eye flicked from his son to his son’s consort. What the pair had requested was rather unexpected. It had the potential for great success or for many things to go terribly wrong. He sighed, shifting so that his left hand could rub his temple. _It seems as if every request I hear now has to do with Loki_. Odin still did not trust the Jotunn in spite of his helping to rid the worlds of Thanos, the healing of the Princess, and even securing certain peace with Jotunnheim through his appointment as Chief Advisor to Thor, which, in Odin’s opinion, was still a very bad idea.

  
“Odin,” Frigga’s soft voice penetrated his thoughts. “This would truly be for the best. They are meant to be together, my husband, and it would bring them great joy.”

  
Odin sighed audibly. “Of course, you are right Frigga. Though why any woman would want to be with a Jotunn is beyond my comprehending.” He fell into silence, seeing the hope on the three faces looking expectantly back at him. “It will be done.”  
___________________________________

  
“And this is your great-grandfather, Bor. He was the great protector of the Realms. One of his greatest victories came when he defeated the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim who were trying to plunge the universe into unending darkness. It is said that Bor and his troops led such a mighty campaign that only one ship of Elves escaped. Your father helped to rid the world of that ship before you were born and the Dark Elves are no more.” Loki relayed the tale, a note of gravity in his voice as Aiko examined the portrait.

  
Bor, with his horned helm, looked very similar to Odin, with his grizzled beard and piercing gaze. He was an intimidating sight to behold in his prime, a warrior king through and through.

  
“What happened to him?” Aiko asked, looking up at Loki’s lined face.

  
“He was killed in battle with the Jotunn. My bearer, Laufey, killed him. Supposedly, his ghost convinced Odin to take me as a babe, giving me life and forever altering my fate.” He glanced sideways at Aiko, searching her face.

  
She met his gaze and gave him a shy half-smile. “Do you regret it?”

  
Loki’s brow furrowed, “No. I do not regret my adoption. I truly would have died on Jotunnheim, freezing to death in the cold due to my lack of size or apparent strength. I am grateful to Odin for that one kindness he showed me, though it was not truly his actions, but those of Bor. Odin is not my father, he never has been, and I’ve come to realize that he never will be because he will never see passed the monster attached to him by a ghost. Frigga, however, is my mother. She taught me how to control and harness my seidr and loved me, no matter what I did. She still does - even after everything I have done. Thor, your father, is my brother, my other and better half, though my childish jealousy of him has led me to commit many acts that I deeply regret. Acts that I committed to gain the love of a father who will never love me. Though I have been a truly terrible man, a broken soul, and I may have wanted to have never been brought to Asgard through most of those years of destruction, I have never regretted what it has brought in terms of family. And that includes you.” He bummed her gently with his hip, smiling broadly. “I would do it all again if it led me back to you.”

  
Aiko smiled and hugged him tightly. “I am so glad that you are here. I would be lost without you. You’re my constant, Blue, and I feel like I would be very much regretting this new life if you were not here to share it with me.”

  
She looked up at him, eyes bright, before they flicked to another painting. “Who are they?” she asked, pointing to a large gilded frame with two figures standing back to back, helmets under their outer arms, beaming with some shared joy. The taller figure, a boy of about eighteen, had long blonde hair framing his arrogant bearded face. His sturdy form stood about two inches taller than the other, leaner figure, a boy of about sixteen, who had chin length black hair that was greased back from his face alight with mischief. Both were dressed in full regalia; one in red, blue and silver, the other in green, black, and gold.

  
“Ah. That, my dear one, is the first official portrait of the Princes of Asgard. Tell me, do you not recognize your father?” He asked the question in a light joking tone, hiding the sudden flare of loss as he gazed at his Aesir face, his vanity sinking in.

  
Aiko’s head cocked as she studied both of the figures. “The blonde is obviously Thor, he looks the same. My father, on the other hand, has just grow more handsome since this portrait was completed, which makes him difficult to recognize. A new one shall have to be done.” She continued to look at the black haired figure, mentally notating the similarities that the figure had to the man standing beside her.

  
“Yes, of course Thor needs another portrait, one of the royal family, perhaps. Of course, if you are in the painting, we may have to find someone else to...” Aiko’s hand on his bare chest stopped his rambling which he was using to distract himself from the intense dislike of his current and permanent form.

  
“Blue,” she said firmly. “I was not talking about _Thor_.” Loki’s brow found itself back in it’s familiar furrowed position, his mouth snapped shut.

  
“What do you mean you’re ‘not talking about Thor’?” His voice was quiet, as if afraid of the question he had voiced.

  
A warm hand touched his face, turning it away from the painted boys, to look at her earnest face. “Didn’t you tell me in January that you are my father? No piece of paper a world away is going to change that in my eyes. Thor is nice, kind, very loving, it’s true, but _he is not you_. And I want you for all those father-daughter moments that were just dreams until now. I want you to scare my first boyfriend and make him promise to bring me back by ten. I want you to walk me down the aisle. I want to have that father-daughter dance with you. I want you to be the proud grandfather of my kids. You, Blue, and only you.”

  
Loki stood there, shocked at her confession that she would rather have a monster with a dark past than Thor, the shining King of Asgard, as her father. _She....she loves me. Truly and deeply, at least as much as I love her. We were brought together by Fate, two broken creatures, lost, but found in the healing that we have given each other._ A slow, warm smile filled his face. “Aiko, my Child of Love, I love you so much.” He wrapped her into his cool embrace. “And, he will bring you back by eight.”  
______________________________________

  
A few hours later, Loki was alone in his bathing room, engulfed in a pool of melting ice. Aiko had left hours ago to begin what she called, “The new royal portrait of the Prince of Asgard.” Loki had been doing a lot of thinking on that. There had been very few people, outside of his family and the healers who had seen him like this. He was very insecure about his appearance. It had drastically changed since his last stay in Asgard, twenty years ago for his sham of a trial. While he had come to terms with the fact that he was Jotunn and looked, for the most part, like a Jotunn, he was worried about the perception of others. His actions against Asgard, Midgard, and Jotunnheim had been vile enough for him to earn the scorn of the people, but his appearance as a Jotunn runt would turn their scorn into loathing. Loathing causes action, that and the fact that he had no offensive spells that he could use, save those in his Jotunn seidr, made him very nervous about displaying his image publicly. Maybe a new portrait was not the best idea. _But she had been so happy at the notion. Oh, I don’t know!_

  
A knock sounded on his door. Loki stepped out of the tub, instantly regretting it when the heat touched his body. _I need to begin work on that ring soon,_ he thought, wrapping a towel around his hips. “Come in, I am decent,” he called.

  
A timid, and very obviously frightened page entered the chamber. “M-mmmm-My P-Prince,” he stammered. “Th-the All-F-fffFather, requests that you j-join him in his ch-chambers.”

  
_Odin. How curious. I thought that he would not want to see me outside of the times he is forced to._ “Please tell the All-Father that I will be right there,” Loki replied firmly, a small, closed lipped smile and a slight dip to his head told the page that he had nothing to fear. Or so he hoped.


	2. Chapter 2

**Odin’s Chambers - Asgard**

  
His claws clacked on the gold and marble floor as he wound his way through the palace to Odin’s chamber. He looked straight ahead with his chin held high, trying to avoid the whispering, pointing, dropping of objects, and, worst of all, the screaming, as he passed. Each sound tore a little hole in his already vain and bitter self-esteem. By the time Odin’s pages had opened the massive chamber doors to him, his resolve had almost crumbled to dust. And he had yet to face the All-Father, who did not exactly mask his own dislike of Loki.

  
Odin was not alone in his sitting room. Frigga sat beside the roaring fire, lit to combat the slight chill of the evening, intricate weaving on her lap. Thor and Jane were seated as well, their backs to the door and Loki. “All-Father,” Loki bowed to Odin before turning to Frigga. “All-Mother.” Another turn to Thor and Jane, “My King and Queen, I assume you have need of me?”

  
“We have an urgent matter to discuss,” said Odin gravely, never taking his eyes off of the Jotunn. “Please, have a seat, Advisor.”

  
The only open seat was across from Frigga, in an arm chair next to the fire. Loki looked at it with dread in his eyes, swallowing visibly. “I - I’d rather not, All-Father, if it’s all the same to you,” he said, barely masking the quiver in his voice. “The fire is too warm for me to stand near and I do not wish to leave a puddle on the carpet from my failed attempts at cooling my body. I am sorry.” He bowed his head, hoping that his act of looking contrite worked. Internally, he was cursing Odin to Helheim and back.

  
Odin sniffed, “Fine.” Loki remained by the door, unsure of where to go in the room, feeling the All-Father’s eye piercing into him, notating every little move. “A couple of matters of the utmost importance have been brought to my attention. Both, unfortunately-” Frigga cut in with an “ _ **Odin!**_ ,” “-Concern you.”

  
“What can I do to help you, All-Father?” Loki said, his ego battered beyond repair at this point and a rather large lump forming in his throat.

  
“It has been brought to my attention that -”

  
“Loki, darling, please join our family circle. There is a place next to the end table at the end of the couch where you should be able to stand comfortably. That way we can all see each other’s faces, yes?” Frigga interrupted her husband, sick of the way he was treating their youngest, especially over something as trivial as his appearance. _Honestly_ , she thought, exasperated. Loki slowly made his way over to the spot, his claws clicking lightly. Each click was accompanied by a subtle flinch from Odin. Loki reverted his gaze back to the floor.

  
“Are we all _comfortable_ now?” Odin asked, annoyance flooding his voice. “As I was saying: There are a couple of matters that need to be taken care of that concern you. Firstly, shortly before his coronation, Thor made a trip to Jotunnheim,” Loki stiffened. “On that trip, he informed their king, Helblindi, that, upon your return to Asgard, he would gift them the Casket as a symbol of peace and unity between our races. **You** will accompany Thor when he delivers it. Your travel party will depart tomorrow morning.”

  
“But, All-Father, do you consider it wise? The last time I was in Jotunnheim, I made a deal with Laufey that sealed his death. I do not think they will take kindly to my presence.” Loki said, quickly regretting that he’d opened his mouth. _That, and I have yet to have the strength to make my cooling ring._

  
“ **THAT** , Loki _Laufeyson_ , is exactly why you are going!” bellowed Odin, his mouth turned down and his eye flashing. “The second matter is dependent on the success of the first, so let me give you incentive to travel to Jotunnheim. It has been brought to my attention by Thor, Jane, and Frigga, that Princess Aiko holds a special place in your icy heart.”

  
“It’s ninety-nine degrees Fahrenheit, thank you very much,” the Jotunn muttered, his eyes beginning to tear. _He’s going to take her away. He’s going to keep us apart._

  
“The testimonials are rather heartfelt, shall I read them to you?” Odin paused, a glimmer that dared Loki to stop him. Odin shuffled some parchment before beginning in a mocking tone “In January of this year, Aiko, finding you in a compromising situation known as the heat,” Loki’s tears were falling rapidly now, there was no stopping them. Odin, seeing the advisor’s distress, continued, “Finding you in heat told you, and I quote, _You are the parent that I have never had and I desperately wish that I was your daughter and that you’d be proud of me because I know that I can never live up to the life that you have led. To which you responded, again I quote: You have been my daughter since you jumped into my arms all those years ago and you have made me the most proud father in the world, exceeding my expectations in every way._ These sentiments were reiterated earlier today in the royal gallery,”

  
“We were alone. How do you...Heimdall,” Loki’s voice, once defensive, faded to nothing.

  
Odin, a wicked gleam in his eye at the sight of the punishment he was bestowing on the man, continued, “Then there are the paintings, masterfully done, by Aiko herself. Of course, they are more meaningful than just keepsake portraits, am I right?” Loki’s heart fell to the floor. Odin knew about their letters to each other.

  
“Odin, I think you have said enough,” Frigga cut in, her stitching long forgotten. “Let the poor boy be.”

  
Odin was undeterred, “First, I have this: _To my one true Father, I love you with my whole being, Blue, ‘warts and all.’ Love, Your Daughter, Aiko._ I did not know that **your kind** had warts.”

  
“It’s a Midgardian phr-”

  
Loki was cut off as Odin continued, “Followed by this: _My Dearest Aiko, the Child of Love, I know that you have titled this ‘Alone.’ The thought saddens me to look upon what you have captured and to think that you will look upon it every day and think of me, alone. I want you to know that, thanks to you and the gift of having you in my life, I will never truly be alone again, and neither will you. Our love for each other will connect us for the rest of our lives, regardless of if we ever meet again. Know that you have changed me to my core and made me look at myself with new eyes. While my portrait may have changed, it reflects the change that I have gone through internally as well. I am no longer the man I was, and it is largely due to having you to call my daughter. So go forth and live your life because it is truly going to be a gift, not just to me, but to the entire world. And until we meet again, I will be ‘Waiting.’I will love you forever and more, Blue_. Such touching sentiment - from a monster.”

  
“Those were private,” Loki whispered, tears rushing down his shocked face.

  
“ **FATHER!** ” Thor bellowed. “ **That is quite enough!** ” His expression softened, as he turned to his brother. “What Father is trying to say is, Jane and I are going to give Aiko up for adoption and you, Loki, are going to adopt her. We have seen the two of you together, as has Mother, both on Midgard and in these halls, and it would be cruel to keep you apart. Please, do not tell her just yet, we wish to surprise her on her Name Day.”

  
Loki wiped the tears off his face, which did nothing to staunch the flow. “You, you mean to give her t-to me? To be my daughter? Truly? Especially after all that you have been through?”

  
Jane beamed as she held Thor’s arm, “Yes, Loki. After all _you_ have gone through, we know that you would not be here without her. Please, adopt your ‘Child of Love.’ It would make the two of us,” she looked up at Thor, “very happy to see the two of you together.”

  
Unable to control the rush of mixed emotions the surged through him, Loki threw himself on top of Jane and Thor, wrapping them into his arms and wetting them with his tears. “Thank you so much” became his mantra, repeated over and over as Thor and Jane patted him on the head, back, and horns, smiling at his happiness.


	3. Chapter 3

**Utgard - Jotunnheim**

  
The barren surface was filled with snow and ice drifts taller than the average Aesir, or small Jotunn. The wind whipped over the ground, swirling snow in patterns that stood out against the dim sky, white on a background of navy. The entire expanse was eerily beautiful, even the ruins that had begun to rise up around the small contingent added to the heightened majesty of the world.

  
The darkness and the cold air hit the party as soon as Heimdall had beamed them down along the Bifrost. Thor and the two soldiers holding the Casket in a lead-lined box were bundled in furs and pelts up to their eyes. Their cloaks rippled in the roaring wind, cursing the cold of the desolate landscape. Their breath collected around their mouths and noses, forming tiny icicles in their beards and on the furs around their heads.

  
Loki, wearing nothing but a rather plain loincloth and his vambraces, reveled in the etherial nature of his home world. It was so alien to him, he had only been there twice and failed to destroy it once, and yet, he felt as if he had been there before, like he was coming home after a long trip away. Logically, with his adoption of Aiko pending, it would never be home, but the thought that he belonged here stuck in the back of his mind.

  
The ruins of stone and ice began to become thicker around them. The small party stumbled into what was once a grand palace foyer without even realizing it.

  
“Welcome, Asgardians,” came a deep, gravelly voice from above. Looking up what must have been a set of stairs at some point, the steps four feet apart from each other, stood a large and rather impressive looking Jotunn. He stood about 12 feet tall, his horned feet about the size of a chair, the claws six inches in length. His skin was a deeper blue than Loki’s, making the Jotunn ridges stand out on his body, light blue and full of glorious purpose. _This must be Helblindi_ , Loki thought, taking in the Rings on his upper arms and the Crown of Ymir on the Jotunn’s hornless and hairless head.

  
Slowly, Loki knelt before the king, the soldiers following suit. Thor simply bowed, acknowledging the Jotunn’s kingship without exalting him. “Thank you, Helblindi-King, for seeing us today,” Thor said, his voice conveying gratitude and a maturity that Loki had never witnessed before. “I have come with the sign of our continued peace.” He gestured to the two soldiers who slowly walked in front of Thor and set the Casket’s box on the ground before that stairs.

  
Helblindi began his descent gracefully, drawn to the box. “Thank you, Thor-King. May our realms continue to maintain our open borders and may we never be torn by war again.” Upon reaching the bottom step, Helblindi gently picked up the box containing the Casket of Ancient Winters reverently. He flipped open the lid, allowing the blue glow of the Casket to highlight his lined face. “I have looked forward to this day for most of my life, Thor-King, and now I, Helblindi, second son of Laufey, may bring about a new renaissance of my people. This is such a gift. I do not know how to thank you.”

  
“It is not the only gift I bring,” said Thor gesturing to Loki. “I have brought our brother for a visit.” Without looking at Thor, Loki could hear the smile in his king’s voice.

  
Loki was not smiling, he was nervous. He had never met his younger brother; he had been born long after Loki had been taken to Asgard, after their - father - had taken a new consort to replace his life-mate Farbuati, Loki’s sire. The Jotunn was king, a title that was rightly his not only through his royal lineage, but also through his appearance. Loki would never have been given the crown, regardless of being birthed first.

  
Helblindi seemed to be equally calculating. His piercing ruby eyes scanned Loki’s face and body, eyebrows (or at least where his eyebrows would have been if he had any body hair at all) arching at Loki’s horns and hair.

  
Opting to break the awkward silence, Loki gave a small nod of his head to the king of Jotunnheim, saying, “Helblindi-King, it is a pleasure to meet you.”

  
Helblindi’s eyes narrowed before Loki was swept off his feet into a bone crushing hug. “Welcome home, my Brother! You have grown handsome in our time apart!”

  
Loki frantically patted his newfound brother’s enormous shoulder. “It’s lovely to see you too. Now, would it be too much for me to ask to be put down? I do not appreciate being picked up like a child.”

  
Helblindi set the smaller Jotunn roughly on his horned feet, driving his claws into the ice, apparently not perturbed by the amount of sass that his older sibling had just thrown his way. “I am glad to see that you have returned from you exile in one piece, Loki-Brother. When Thor-King told me of your crimes, I was admittedly worried that you would never escape Midgard alive. But, you have, and this is a joyous occasion indeed! I would invite you to all stay longer, but I fear that Loki-Brother is the only one who would be comfortable.” The Jotunn chuckled, his deep voice resonating like a gong.

  
“That and I am weary. Unfortunately, bearing an heir to the throne has made my stomach less than pleased.” Thor shot Loki a surprised look that he quickly covered with a smile.

  
“Congratulations, Helblindi-King, that is wonderful news,” Thor said, hiding his sadness at his own lack of an heir. “I hope that your child brings you all the happiness in the world.”

  
“Oh, he already has!” beamed the Jotunn, stroking his still flat stomach. “Only ten more months to go. But, before you leave, as a sign of our friendship and goodwill, I have prepared gifts for you.”

  
The Jotunn waved his clawed hand, becoming forth three more Frost Giants, who had appeared as if out of no where. Each servant carried a package, the packages varying in size from tiny to large.

  
“Firstly, to Thor-King, I give you this stained glass, to be installed in any window of your choosing. It is a rendering of our first glorious meeting and the beginning of our peace. It’s sister will hang here, once the restoration of our palace is complete. They will represent our connection and dedication to each other as worlds.” Helblindi gestured the Frost Giant with the largest package forward. The two soldiers took the 12’ by 4’ panel, stumbling under its weight.

  
“Thank you, Helblindi - King, I am sure that it, like all of Jotunnheim’s crafts, is stunning. I think it will look lovely in the All-Father’s counsel room, don’t you Loki?”

  
“Yes, of course, Your Majesty,” Loki concurred, knowing that the window would irk Odin to no end and enjoying Thor’s ability to stand up to his father.

  
Helblindi was beaming like the noon day sun. “The next two gifts are small, and in comparison, rather simple. I gift them to Loki. One is the last surviving Macagelan root of the season. I know that you will use it well and I am terribly sorry that I could not give you more.”  
Humbled, Loki took the offered package. “Thank you, Brother. This means so much. I deeply appreciate it and the sacrifice of your - _our_ people for giving it to me.”

  
Helblindi certainly would have blushed if it were possible. He continued, “This is also for you, Loki, along with an open invitation to come to Jotunnheim any time, just give us a bit of advanced warning.” Helblindi himself gave Loki the smallest box. Loki looked at it, perplexed. “Inside is a ring of emerald and gold, your two favorite colors, I am told. The gem has stored the winters of Jotunnheim and will keep you cool in the Asgardian heat.”

  
Loki stared in shock at the box. This was what he wanted, what he _needed_ and a complete stranger had given it to him freely and without wanting anything in return except his company. Helblindi had not judged him or condemned him for his past actions or rejected him due to his appearance, instead he had given him two very powerful gifts. “I-I don’t know how to thank you,” Loki finally whispered, looking at Helblindi’s ruby eyes. “You are truly being too kind to me. After all I’ve done...”

  
A large hand fell on Loki’s shoulder. “Exactly. You have done things in the past that you regret. I have too. Now we must live in the present and live for tomorrow, that is something your Brother taught me.”

  
Helblindi and Thor were wearing the same expression on their broad faces. Loki’s smile joined theirs, showing all of his fangs. “Now, you must go. I fear the Aesir soldiers are not faring well in this environment,” Helblindi chuckled. “Until next time, Thor-King, Loki-Brother. And please do come visit again!”


	4. Chapter 4

**Asgard**

  
A week had passed since the trip to Jotunnheim. Loki’s ring had allowed him to see more than just his chambers. He was particularly thrilled that he could walk outside among his mother’s flowers again. He had even taken Aiko horseback riding, teaching her how to ride on a gentle and quiet mare in the meadows just outside of the palace walls. While his presence and appearance still continued to attract noticeable contempt from the general populace, he was happy with the lovely mortal by his side.

  
He had yet to tell Aiko anything about her birthday festivities. It was going to be a celebration that outshone any that had been had since Thor’s coronation. Musicians had flocked from the far-reaches of Asgard, along with a traveling theater troop from Vanaheim. Contingents of dignitaries flooded to the realm, including Helblindi and his life-mate, Elksa. The Avengers had arrived just that morning, causing Loki to retreat into his rooms until the feast that evening. He was certainly not happy about their invitation, but Thor and Jane had insisted.

  
Tonight, he would announce his plans to adopt the girl he called his daughter and tomorrow the official ceremony, that would bind their essences and turn Aiko Aesir, would take place with Thor officiating. The All-Father was becoming less and less present as the obvious love and acceptance of Loki by the other members of his family made Odin’s attempts at continued verbal and mental abuse nearly impossible. Thor had claimed that it was because he was due to fall into the Odin Sleep soon and was irrepressibly grouchy because of it. Loki did not complain, glad to be rid of Odin’s snide and cutting remarks.

  
He was currently seated in a purple -backed arm chair in Aiko’s sitting room, his gaze fixed intently on the closed door of her bed chamber. “I am ready when you are,” called a muffled voice through the door.

  
Loki chuckled, “I am as ready as I will ever be, my Love. Let me see you!”

  
The cherry door to her bedroom opened slowly, allowing a small sliver of his soon-to-be daughter to be seen by his ruby eyes. As Aiko was revealed, Loki let a soft, reverent breath escape his blue lips. She looked stunning, every inch of the goddess that she was about to become, every inch of the woman that he would proudly call his daughter until the day that he died.

  
Aiko, her hair pulled back in the ‘Loki braid,’ was wearing a floaty grecian-style gown of royal blue, matching his skin tone perfectly and emphasizing her coffee complexion. Her left shoulder was bare, her right had a single silver strap with little flower details laced throughout and along the neckline of the dress. An open sleeve ran from the strap, only to be reconnected just below her elbow, causing the fabric to puff while still exposing most of her arm. A wider, silver belt wound around her small waist, pulling the bodice fabric taut, a single drape of chiffon pulled over the belt and into the draping of the skirt. She wore little make-up, the final touches would be placed later, and no jewelry, but she did not need anything to enhance her beauty.

  
“My dearest Aiko, you are a vision,” Loki murmured. “You will break many hearts tonight and make all of the women and the stars green with envy.”

  
Aiko spun slowly. “You don’t think it’s too much?”

  
“You are Princess of Asgard, soon to be the recognized daughter of the King ( _Or his chief advisor_ , he thought with a small smile). It will never be too much! You deserve to be the ‘Belle of the Ball,’ my darling. How many times does one turn 17? Now give me a spin,” Loki stood and twirled Aiko around, taking in the way the dress fit the woman to a T. _I will be keeping busy tonight trying to keep the suitors at bay._

  
“Absolutely breath-taking, Aiko. Every inch the princess you were born to be,” he whispered, pulling the woman into a hug.

  
“It’s strange,” Aiko said, her head pressed into Loki’s cool chest, “I never thought my dreams would come true. I had always hoped they would, but I had never thought that this would be happening right now. That I would be a real-live princess and live in a palace and wear beautiful dresses. That I would be painting for a living or that anyone would commission a work of mine, much less a royal family! I will begin schooling in the next couple of weeks on all of the knowledge that I will need to live in this realm. I will soon have two parents that love me dearly and I am with you, Blue, my true father. I am just the luckiest girl in the world.”

  
Loki hummed his agreement while personally thinking that, in fact, everyone else were truly the luckiest people in the Nine for being blessed with Aiko’s presence.  
____________________________________

  
Loki regarded himself in the mirror in the bathing chamber wall. He had just cut his hair back to respectable length, the ever-present braid falling to the bottom of his shoulder blades, over the emerald cape. It felt strange to be wearing this much clothing, the armor was heavy and restricted his movement slightly due to the stimulation that the rubbing of the oiled leather against the wool of his shirt against his ridges caused. His regalia still miraculously fit him like a glove, all except the boots, which would never fit on his feet again. Thor had commissioned a new pair for his brother that encased his feet comfortably and kept his claws from breaking through the soles. _At least Odin won’t flinch when he hears my claws scratching on the marble_ , he thought, a sardonic smile gracing his lips.

  
The heavy gold plating and worked leather took a couple of hours for him to put on alone. He still did not have a valet or any pages, partially due to the fact that he did not want anyone seeing him in his naked glory, and partially because no one of the palace serving staff had particularly wanted to work for him. Still, reassembling the armor gave him a sense of pride and he was able to take the time to admire the craftsmanship of the pieces with their etchings and intricate layered patterns. The buckles were unwieldy under his clawed fingers, but, similarly to most every task, he quickly discovered away to close the buckles without ruining the leather or injuring his hands. After all, nothing could be more difficult than using silverware while trying not to bury nails into the flesh of your palms.

  
Rolling his gaze away from the armor, Loki looked at his azure face and ruby eyes. They clashed slightly with the emerald and the gold, making him look like a demonic color wheel. He sighed, _I will never get used to this face_. Glancing up at his horns, _Nor wear my helmet again_. His horns glinted in the light of the room, reflecting the light of the candles in their lacquer. _They’re not gold, but they certainly look like my ceremonial helm. How appropriate for tonight._ He smiled. The horns were surprisingly growing on him, and they were much lighter and more comfortable than the helmet. Taking a deep breath through his blue nostrils and giving himself another glance in the mirror, the Prince of Asgard and Chief Advisor to the King collected his courage, and headed out to the feast to meet his daughter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Asgard**

  
The opulent hall was filled with noise and lights. Fires filled braziers on twenty foot tall stands, their contents both warming and lighting the vast chamber, illuminating the long tables of golden plates and cutlery. The food would only be served later, when everyone had arrived. Purple and bronze decorations hung from the rafters and along the massive pillars, small violets graced the tables as center pieces. On the raised dais, in front of the throne, stood the high table with six chairs. Loki’s seat was on the end, on the far left side, next to Aiko, thankfully, but in front of the entire assembly, on display like a curiosity in a museum.

  
He took another deep breath. As royal advisor, he would be exposed to the people. In fact, many of the Aesir had seen him or at least heard of him and his fated monstrous form, though their acceptance was very far off or entirely nonexistent. The other people from the rest of the Nine, with the exception of the Frost Giants, would be appalled, he was sure, especially when the Princess was declared his, and not his handsome and perfect brother’s daughter.

  
Closing his eyes against the thought, Loki turned from the high table and wound his way down the hall to the main doors where the rest of his family waited for their guests. Aiko ran to him the moment he was in view, throwing herself into his leather and gold-clad arms. “You look dashing, Blue! I _have_ to paint you like this sometime!” She beamed up at him with her megawatt smile. She had put a bit of make-up onto her cheeks, eyes, and lips, subtle but enough to make those features, already beautiful, pop. He hair had been redone, the braid only covering the top part of her head before stopping to cascade down her back in thick, wavy chocolate brown sheets. A thin, bronze circlet encased her brow like a thin flowering vine in bloom.

  
“I do not look anywhere hear as perfect as you do now, Aiko, my darling Princess,” he responded, offering his arm to the woman. “May I escort you the rest of the way to the doors, my Child of Love?”

  
“Why, of course, good sir. How kind of you to offer,” she smiled jokingly, her eyes twinkling.

  
When they approached the royal couples, the pair dropped their linked arms and bowed and curtsied low, honoring the rulers of Asgard and the Nine.

  
“Now stop that, you two. There is no need to stand on ceremony in the presence of family!” Thor jovially chortled, offering Aiko his hand to help her rise. “You, my darling look lovely this evening. I can only think of one other woman who can hold a candle to you’re beauty, and she is standing right here.”

  
Jane playfully punched Thor on his bulging chain mailed bicep. “Stop that, honey. Aiko, you are the most stunning woman present in this room and always.” She wrapped the woman into a hug. “I am so glad to be welcoming you as a part of our family.”

  
Aiko smiled warmly, “Me too. I-I could not ask for better parents than you and Thor.” Her smile faded with the white lie which covered her true desire.

  
“Oh, you are too kind to us in our old age,” Jane said, trying to relieve a bit of the tension with a joke.

  
Loki snorted, “ ** _Your_** old age?! I have over a thousand years on you and Thor more than me! You are growing too used to the life of a slowly aging Aesir, Jane. Twenty years certainly produces no visible change, neither does a thousand, present company aside.” He gestured to his azure frame. “You may feel old, darling, but you will always be a babe in arms, just as when your husband robbed you from your cradle.”

  
He laughed lightly at Jane’s fake offended face, Thor’s booming chuckled joined in. Aiko looked puzzled.

  
“So after tomorrow, I will not age?” she whispered tentatively.

  
Thor broke off his laughter to look at the young woman. “Technically you will. We all do, however, it is a very slow process. Time seems to slow and become insignificant. Technically, to put it in Midgardian terms, since Jane stopped aging in the Midgardian fashion at age 28, and I am 1,220...” He paused as Aiko’s jaw visibly dropped. “I know I look dashingly handsome, but that is because I am only about 21 Midgardian years. My wonderful wife robbed _me_ from _my_ cradle.” He chuckled, nuzzling Jane’s reddening neck. “And I love her for it every day.”

  
Aiko turned to Loki, eyes as large as saucers. “Blue?”

 

Loki gave a little smile. “I told you that I have had a long life, my Love.”

  
“Yes, but how long is long, Blue?” her eyes boring into his.

  
“Long is 1, 068 years, a little less than 18 years, Midgardian, I think,” he stroked his horn. “The average lifespan of an Aesir is about 5,000 years while the average lifespan of 82 years Midgardian means that, upon reaching maturity at 16, the Aesir age one Midgardian year every 600 Asgardian years. Does that make sense?” His hand continued to stroke the lacquered keratin, his face scrunched a bit with the arithmetic of it. Glancing down at Aiko, he saw an astonished look on her face.

  
“Yuh-you’re _my **age?!**_ ” She smacked his leather and gold chest.

  
“No, I am 1,068. There is a _large_ difference,” he stated matter-of-factly. “The fact that you will stop aging tomorrow will put you right on track with the rest of your peers, and yes, a few older adults as we age slower. Come, I know that it is difficult to wrap your mind around the science of it, but all you need to know is that, as of tomorrow, you will have a much longer life expectancy than you do today.”

  
He threw an arm around her shoulder and turned towards Odin and Frigga who had been busy making last minute changes to the menu and entertainment roster. Bowing and curtsying again, Loki addressed them, saying, “All-Father. All-Mother.”

  
Frigga stepped towards her son and granddaughter, wrapping the girl in a one-armed hug while caressing Loki’s blue cheek. “Don’t we look like a wonderful pair tonight, dressed in our finery? Aiko, I must say that that gown has taken an already beautiful woman and turned her into a work of art. Do you not agree Odin? Isn’t she the most beautiful woman you have ever seen?” 

Odin smiled at the mortal. “Why, yes Frigga. I do believe that you speak the truth,” he said kindly.

  
“And Loki, my son, you look as handsome as ever in your armor. I am so pleased that it still fits, I was worried that it might not because....” Her voice faded to nothing as Loki’s face dropped.

  
“Because I am what I am, Mother. It is alright, you can say it,” he said, trying to sound confident and self-assured. “I must say that the usual suspects proved to be a bit of a challenge to get around, but with a little magic, I made it work.” His clawed hand stroked his horn again, apprehensively. He smiled, trying to hide the mental anguish that his form caused him from his mother. Judging by the look of concern on her face, he was not succeeding.

  
Odin refused to look at him, darkly muttering something along the lines of, “You can dress a monster up and take him to a ball but he still remains a monster.” Frigga shot him a nasty look before returning to caress Loki’s lined face.

  
Aiko cut in to the awkward silence. “Well, I think he looks devilishly handsome. I am sure that there will be a lot of women who will ask you to dance tonight, Blue. I know that I will!” She beamed up at him, his insecurities forgotten in the light of her smile.


	6. Chapter 6

**Asgard**

  
The night passed quickly for everyone except Loki. The night seemed to go on forever. It began with his disastrous family reunion and was followed by the announcement that the guests had begun to arrive. He stood at the end of the receiving line, beside Jane. Aiko was between Frigga and Thor, a place of honor for the honored guest. The first to arrive was Helblindi, his life-mate Elksa, and a contingent of Jotunn who greeted the entire family happily, overjoyed to be included in one of Asgard’s greatest celebrations in nearly a quarter of a century. Helblindi even pulling Loki against his softening middle, whispering, “I am so pleased to see you again, Brother. You are looking very well.” Loki returned the compliment, asking after the king’s health.

  
For the rest of the guests, however, he was glad that Aiko was not near him to see the looks of utter contempt, the refused handshakes, the people who walked right by or looked right through him, and, worst of all, hear the scathing remarks about how he was an unredeemable soul from the darkest pits of Hel and that it was only by luck that he had escaped his punishment with naught but his ugliness as a reminder of his true, barbaric nature and murderous past.

  
The Avengers, mostly led by the Man of Iron, were particularly cruel. Barton outright laughed, saying, “Serves you right you Bastard. Too bad they couldn’t keep you locked in that hole longer.” Tony called him blueberry and asked if he could run experiments on him, “Just ‘cuz”. Captain America, looking rather ridiculous in his spangled uniform, just glared, his eyes shooting daggers of outright hatred into Loki’s chest. The woman said nothing and expressed nothing, looking through him as if he didn’t exist. Only Banner, the man who housed the green monster, looked at him like he was human, like he had a right to be there and be happy.

  
Jane, who stood to his left, eventually grabbed his cool hand with her warm one and squeezed it. The sign of affection, especially from a woman who had once loathed him with every fiber of her being, gave Loki that little bit of hope and support to continue. He took the verbal, physical, and psychological abuse with a small, kind smile, and thanked everyone for attending the Princess’ party and official adoption ceremony, Jane’s hand his anchor to the only love that mattered: that of his family.

  
The meal was even worse. Loki had already been apprehensive about eating while on display. At the last minute, Aiko was switched to Thor’s right and Jane took her seat on Loki’s left. He looked down the table at the woman who would become his daughter in a few hours time. She was beaming and laughing at something Thor had said, eating to her heart’s delight the slow-roasted wild boar that Thor had killed with his bare hands earlier that day along with the platters of cooked vegetables and fruits. Loki glanced down at his plate. He also had a slice of the boar, raw and bleeding, along with a baked potato. It looked like he was back on prison rations and, he noticed as he looked up, he had an audience while doing it.

  
Slowly and deliberately, he picked up the knife and fork and pushed them into the meat on his golden platter. The red mass oozed, looking rather unappetizing. Loki sighed, applying pressure to the awkwardly held utensils so as to not stick himself with his claws. Glancing below, he saw that Helblindi, Elksa and the rest of the Jotunn had forgone the use of their impractical knives and forks and were holding their raw meat in their hands, tearing pieces off of it with abandon, ignoring the disgusted looks of the people around them. Loki wished that he could have done the same thing, but knowing who he represented, he put his fork in his mouth and chewed, the delicious juices flowing into his dry mouth. _I may be a monster in a suit, All-Father, but I have certainly learned a few tricks that might convince some people otherwise_ , he thought smugly.

  
When the dessert course arrived, he began to get nervous. Thor would be making his announcement after the cake (the first of many) was cut. It was the eve of Aiko’s birthday, and he, as the king, would be giving her the first gift. The others, including Loki’s own, would come the following day. The cake, a red velvet confection that towered over Thor and all the rest of the guests except the Jotunn, was covered in little violets and bronze designs depicting scenes from Aiko’s life. Loki knew that he was present in many of the detailed frosting images, his features distorted to look more monstrous than usual. The cake decorator, apparently, was not his biggest fan.

  
Using a rather dainty looking knife and cake wedge, Thor cut the cake and offered the first piece to Aiko. He turned back to the people assembled and held up his hands.

  
“My friends and honored guests, welcome! I am overwhelmed with joy at the thought of our guest of honor, Aiko Orson, joining our Asgardian family tomorrow on her seventeenth name day!” There was a loud cheer from the crowd assembled. They were all so captivated by her beauty and charms and were very pleased to be welcoming her as a princess. Thor’s hand went out to Jane, who stood, looking radiant and proud. Loki could read through her deceptive smile, though. While she was glad to be giving up her child, she was not happy. _I must pay them back for their kindness_ , Loki thought before returning his attention to the king.

  
“It is a tradition that the King and Queen bestow the first gift, given on the eve of the name day to any member of their family. Jane and I had thought long and hard about what to give our beloved Aiko. It is always difficult to find meaningful gifts to give to those whom you love the most. After much soul searching and a little bit of red tape, we have decided to give you this.” He held out a small, brown envelope to Aiko. “Open it, my darling.”

  
Aiko complied, pulling out a packet of papers. “These are adoption papers,” she said, her confused eyes looking up into Thor’s smiling ones.

  
“Yes, yes they are, my Princess. They are the official adoption papers from your agency naming Prince Loki Laufeyson your father.”

  
Instantaneously, all noise stopped. No one spoke, no one breathed save for the people on the raised dais; the audience was in shock. Aiko was staring at the packet of papers, her eyes reading and her ears hearing, but not comprehending. Loki watched her out of the corner of his eyes, frightened that she might reject him, hate him for allowing Thor and Jane to just give her up like all of her foster families before. What if she didn’t want him any more?

  
At the opposite end of the table, Aiko spoke, her voice faint and unsure. “He’s my father now? M-my _father_?” The final word was whispered reverently. She looked up, her eyes shining with unshed tears but full of joy. The elation written across her face in that moment erased all of the pain, the suffering, the agony that Loki had been subject to since his return to Asgard. _She wanted him_.

  
He smiled, tears beginning to prick the corner of his eyes as Aiko stood and curtsied to Thor. “I will **_never, ever_** be able to repay you this gift, my King.”

  
Thor picked up the woman’s chin with his large hand. “ _That_ , my dear Aiko, is why it is a gift.” He beamed at her. “Now give your uncle a hug!”

  
Aiko complied, squeezing Thor around the waist with such enthusiasm that he had to take a step back, bumping Odin in his throne. The crowd had begun to murmur amongst themselves at that point. The Jotunn contingent were clapping enthusiastically. Some of the guests got up and left, storming from the hall and calling the entire event a sham and a disgrace. Others threw dark looks Loki’s way while others outright yelled about how he was not a fit gift for a child. A small handful of the non-Jotunn guests looked at Loki through new eyes. If the Princess, a beautiful, intelligent mortal, could love that monster so much, there must be something that they were missing. Maybe, just maybe, he had changed.

  
Loki caught none of this. He only had eyes for his daughter who was hugging Jane with such fervor that the smaller woman was turning red in the face. Finally, Aiko let go of her aunt, and ran into Loki’s open and eager arms, planting a kiss on his cheek as he held her close, vowing to never let her go again.   
___________________________________

  
A short while later, after the fuss had been brought down to a simmer, Loki and Aiko were twirling on the dance floor. Loki was pleased to learn that his new feet did not hinder his dancing ability, a graceful pastime that he was secretly proud of. Aiko had begun dancing lessons shortly after arriving at the palace, and had proved to be a quick study. _Like father, like daughter_ , Loki thought, practically purring with pleasure.

  
The song ended and the couples applauded the musicians. “E-excuse m-me, My P-prince?” Loki turned to meet the grey eyes of a young Vanir man in his late teens. “I-I,” the man gulped. “I was wondering if I could cut in?”

  
Loki smiled, closed lipped at the man, and bowed his head on consent. He gave the man his daughter’s hand, making his feel colder with its absence, and kissed Aiko’s head. “Eight o’clock,” he whispered in her ear as he walked away, listening to her giggle at their little joke.

  
He returned to the table, looking straight ahead so as to not meet any cruel and hateful glances. He gave a little jump when his arm was touched suddenly, about halfway back to his seat. He turned to find the only other monster in the room looking up at him.

  
“Dr. Banner,” Loki said, surprised. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

  
The doctor gave a small bow and surprised the Jotunn yet again when he said, “Prince Loki. I, uh...” He rubbed the back of his head, looking awkward. “I just wanted to say congratulations. On everything. You’re completed sentence, your new position, your daughter. You are a lucky - man.”

  
Loki’s brow furrowed. He had not expected that kind of statement from any of the Avengers, much less the one who had smashed him into a stone floor repeatedly. “Thank you, Dr. Banner. That is very kind of you.”

  
“I also, uh, wanted to say thanks for, you know, getting rid of Thanos. We were getting no where. Who knew all we needed was a little ice!” The man chuckled, obviously uncomfortable in social situations.

  
“It wasn’t a problem. I retaliated against a threat that was made against my daughter. I acted as any man would in that kind of situation. The All-Father and Thor were really the two people responsible for his demise.”

  
“You’re being modest. That’s something I never thought I’d see,” Banner smiled at Loki. “I just wanted you to know that if you ever need anything, let me know. We owe you, whether the others want to admit it or not, and I always pay my debts.”

  
“Thank you, Dr. Banner. I will keep that in mind.”

  
The rest of the evening passed by in a blur. Loki watched as Aiko danced with nearly every man from all of the Nine Realms. He insisted on dancing with Frigga and Helblindi insisted on dancing with him. It was a wonderful evening, even though he could feel the eyes of the room and the eyes of the All-Father on him all night and into the morning.

  
As the party began to drift apart, Loki picked up his exhausted daughter and returned her to her rooms, removed her shoes and tucked her into bed. With a light kiss on her forehead, Loki whispered, “Good Night, my Child of Love.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Asgard**

  
She woke to the sun, high in the sky, it’s warm rays streaming onto her purple sheets through the french doors. She drew a slow, luxurious breath, stretching her arms over her head and flexing her feet. She snuggled back against her pillow, breathing in its scent: lavender and violet, mingled with the faint smell of paints and canvas and Loki’s icy fragrance. “Hmmm, Blue,” she murmured, still half asleep. _He’s my father. He always has been and now he always will be. He is mine and I am his_.

  
That thought pulled the princess out of bed. She was still wearing her blue chiffon gown and it was wrinkled ridiculously. She pitied the laundry maid who would be charged with cleaning it. She’d leave the girl a heartfelt thank you note and maybe some homemade cookies, if she found the time.   
_____________________________

  
About an hour later, she was bathed and dressed in a simple chemise and on her way to her father’s rooms. She stopped outside his closed doors, hesitant, as if everything from the last evening was a dream and, by knocking, it would vanish. Stealing herself, Aiko knocked firmly on the doors.

  
When no answer came, she gently pushed the doors open a crack and wormed her way into her father’s sitting chamber. It was cleaner since the last time she had seen it, the books and candle stubs had been put away. There was a book sitting, open, on one of the chairs. Softly, the woman padded over to it, curious about what Blue was reading. The book, a relatively new paperback, was opened to a chapter titled _The First Trimester_. Taken aback, Aiko flipped the cover up. Loki was reading _What to Expect When You’re Expecting_. She set the book down, startled by the subject. Was there something that Blue wasn’t telling her? It was not her place to judge, but how would he get pregnant when everyone outside of his immediate family was not his biggest fan? Or, being the thorough type, maybe he was just preparing for the future? He had had a long conversation with Bruce Banner the evening before. Shaking her head, Aiko left the book and headed for his open bedroom door.

  
“Blue?” she asked quietly, poking her head around the doorframe. “Are you here, Blue?” Her eyes scanned the room, surprised to find it empty. Sighing, she began to turn away from the door when she saw them. Two horns were poking up over the far side of the bed. She smiled. Someone was still asleep. Tiptoeing, Aiko wandered around the solid, black walnut bed frame to the sleeping Loki. He lay in a tangle of sheets and comforters with his head resting against the bed frame, his arms and legs sprawled among the pillows that he had thrown onto the ground. She vowed to find out when his name day was so that she could have a bed commissioned that he could actually sleep in.

  
He looked so peaceful, a slight smile played at the corner of his lips and the worry and laugh lines had vanished with their inactivity. The woman observed the rise and fall of his chest for a minute, before she climbed onto the floor next to him, wedged herself under one of his long, thinly muscular arms, and lay beside him, snuggling into his cool side. With her head resting on his chest, listening and comforted by his steady heartbeat, Aiko lost track of all sense of time.

  
Suddenly, she felt the arm she was under tighten around her protectively and found a cool kiss planted on the top of her head. A gruff voice whispered, “Good morning, my dear Child of Love, and a Happiest of Name Days.” The cool lips planted another kiss in her hair. “How did you sleep?”

  
She smiled at him, his ruby eyes still fuzzy with sleep. “I slept like a rock, though apparently not as well as you. I’ve been awake for two hours already. It’s nearly one o’clock!” She teased him, ruffling his hair between his horns, and stimulating the Crown that rested there.   
He rolled his eyes. “I had some reading to do last night and was up later than you,” he said. “You’re a curious girl, I’m sure you found the book.”

  
She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Are you trying to tell me that I should be expecting a younger sibling that I will have to compete with for your time and affections?”

  
“No, never would you have to compete! As for my being, well....” He paused, unsure of how to breach the subject, both with himself and with his daughter. “Let’s just say, not yet, and never as a sibling for you. **You** are all that I need. Do not ever doubt that.” Unwrapping his arm from her warm shoulders, the Jotunn slowly rose, his hands messaging the back of his aching neck.

  
“Blue, when is your Name Day?” she asked her voice filled with curiosity and half-made plans. Loki turned back to her, looking at her quizzically.

  
“It is the ninth of February. Why do you ask my dear?” His ruby gaze bore into her blue one, searching for answers to his questions.

  
“Nothing,” she smiled, ever the teenager.

  
He snorted. “Fine, but good luck keeping secrets from me, Aiko. I _am_ the God of Lies.” He smiled, reaching for the top of his wardrobe and pulling down a long, rectangular package. “I have a gift for you that I know you will put to good use.” He handed the brightly wrapped package to her. “Open it.”

  
Aiko looked at it, and unreadable expression on her face, turning the box over and over again in her hands. “Besides last night, which will be incredibly hard to top, by the way, I have not received a gift of any sort since my fourth birthday.”

  
Loki saw tears beginning to grow in the corners of her eyes. Quickly picking up his daughter’s downcast chin with his blue clawed hand, he raised her face to meet his warm smile. “I know that it’s been rough for you, not having a family. But know this, from this moment onward, you have one. You have a family that is ridiculously dysfunctional with a grandfather who is the most powerful being in the Universe, a grandmother who is the kindest and gentlest person you will ever meet, an uncle who is a bit reckless and crazy, an aunt who talks in words that no one besides her understands, and a father who is, well, a bit of a monster, but who loves you with all of his heart. Needless to say, you will never be without a family again.” He wiped the tears that had begun to flow down Aiko’s flushed coffee cheeks. “You will also have many more presents because you are too precious not to spoil. Now open it!”

  
Not standing on any ceremony whatsoever, Aiko tore the paper to reveal a set of new horsehair brushes and some charcoal pencils. She ran her fingers over the new heads and handles, reveling in the soft bristles and the grainy wood. “They are perfect! Thank you! I can’t wait to start using them!”

  
She wrapped Loki in a tight embrace which he reciprocated, stroking her hair. “You are very welcome,” he said. “Now hurry or your maids will be more after my head than they already are.”

  
Turning quickly, Aiko ran for the door of his bedroom and giving one last exuberant wave, vanished from his sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't resist the Name Day...I'm not sorry ;)


	8. Chapter 8

**Asgard**

  
He stood in front of the bathing room mirror, surprised to find himself there twice in twenty-four hours. He regarded his blue ridged skin critically, running his clawed fingers over it, his rough palms rubbing the flesh. Who would have thought that something a trivial as skin could cause so much pain, so much damage? He exhaled sharply through his nose. It was his, and, as much as he hated the looks and the muttered comments or the screaming, he had to admit that it wasn’t as awful as it could have been. He could be from a species that had two heads and three eyes, right?

  
Loki turned away from the mirror to find his new ceremonial garb. He had ordered it, mostly to tick off Odin, but also to prove to the assembly and to himself that he was beginning to accept his heritage. The Jotunn were simple people, not much for heavy clothing. It was rather unnecessary except in the bleakest part of winter and it itched terribly, regardless of what the clothing was made out of.

  
The clothing on the chair beside him was ornate and consisted of two items: an embroidered loincloth and a vast cloak. In spite of the green and gold clashing a bit with his skin tone, both pieces were mostly made with those colors interspersed with black and white, on the loincloth more so than the cloak. The patterns supposedly were copied from the dance that the wind caused the snow to do through the valleys of Jotunnheim. Loki thought that he had never seen such fine craftsmanship or handiwork on a piece as small as a loincloth. The cloak was nearly solid green with only the bottom that would trail along the ground adding whorls and spirals of color, again, symbolizing the snow of his home world. The top of the cloak met at a gold broach shaped like his helm and now his horns.

  
He turned back to his reflection, fascinated by how the clothing made him look almost regal. His armor the day before had not accomplished that in the least. He had felt almost as if he was stealing someone else’s clothes. No, this ceremonial outfit seemed more true to himself in his present moment and, for a second, he did not care about what anyone else thought, except Aiko. _I wonder how she is getting along_ , he thought, not allowed to see his daughter until the ceremony in an hour. He was sure that however she was faring, she would be the most beautiful woman in the Realms, and he knew that she always would be.   
_________________________________

  
Loki stood on the raised dais with Thor, his hands fiddling with each other, causing his claws to clack together rhythmically. The guests had assembled, though he noticed more than a couple of empty seats. He hoped that those who were truly disgusted by him and his ‘stealing’ of the Princess had remained away. He did not want anyone to darken this day for him or, more importantly, his daughter.

  
“Are you nervous, Brother?” Thor was standing to Loki’s right as he regarded the slowly growing crowd anxiously. The Jotunn could hear the chuckle in the older man’s voice.

  
Loki turned to him, his eyes wide and honest. “Maybe a little. Not about Aiko, never about her love for me or mine for her. But,” he paused, his gravelly voice low, “I am worried about how she will be treated, being the daughter of a monster.”

  
Thor regarded his brother sympathetically. Jane had told him about how Loki was treated the previous evening and he knew that his brother’s worries were well-founded. “I think that she can handle it, Loki. Think about everything that she has been through, and at such a tender age. She is a warrior - just like her father.” He smiled warmly. “I could not ask for a better brother or niece and I am truly honored to have such a knowledgeable advisor and talented royal portrait painter. She did tell you that she is doing one of Jane and I, did she not?”

  
“Yes,” Loki beamed pridefully. “Yes, she did. She keeps insisting that I sit for her, but, I am not sure it would be wise.”

  
“A bit of advice, Brother. Always give your woman what she wants. It’ll end better for you!” Thor chuckled, punching Loki lightly on the shoulder. “Ah, here they come.”

  
Loki turned back to the assembly, ignoring the looks of distain and mutters of derision, and found, at the far end of the opulent hall, his daughter. She was on Odin’s arm, much to his severe displeasure, but, since Thor was officiating, it left no one else. She looked radiant, putting the sun to shame in her off the shoulder princess style emerald green and gold gown. Her sleeves left her shoulders completely bare but encased the rest of her arms in shear, shimmering green chiffon. Gold embroidering covered the bodice and the tops of the sleeves, run down the gown in a slow fade out. The front of the dress was open, a knee-length skirt of emerald peaked out from underneath the longer over-dress, which grew longer in the back, forming a short train. Her favorite braid was back, matching his, though it was filled with tiny, glimmering jewels. A small, plain circlet of gold filigree wove over her brow and around her head.

  
Loki beamed, feeling tears press at the corners of his eyes. “She’s so beautiful,” he murmured to himself over the orchestral prelude.

  
His smiled warmed when her heard his brother respond, “Aye, she certainly is. You are a very lucky man.”

  
Aiko reached the base of the dais where Odin relinquished her hand and returned to his throne, overseeing the proceedings. Loki practically ran down the steps to meet her, grabbing her warm hand and helping her up the stairs. “My Child of Love, you are breath-taking,” he whispered.

  
“You’re awfully handsome yourself, sir,” she giggled, smiling at him, her eyes glistening.

  
Finally, they stood in front of the King of Asgard. The ceremony itself was short but all three parties understood the gravity of it. This ritual would bind them together not just in name and love but also in blood, never to be broken once it was enacted.

  
“Friends and Honored Guests, welcome! We are here to recognize the formal adoption of Aiko Mina Orson by Prince Loki Laufeyson and the family of Odin, All-Father. This woman has come willingly and without force, taking up this mantle of her own freewill.”

  
A loud murmur filled the hall. _How could he be saying this? Who would want to be the child of **that**? How can he even deem himself fit to raise a child? I’m sure she’s being forced. Who would give up life as the daughter of Thor to become the daughter of that Jotunn monstrosity?_

  
The muttering, however painful, did not dim the smiles on either Aiko or Loki’s faces. They stood facing each other, hands clasped, enjoying this moment to be together. Thor raised his arms, calling for silence.

  
“Loki Laufeyson, do you accept the responsibility of caring and raising this child, Aiko, loving her as if she were your own, and making sure no harm befalls her to the best of your ability?”

  
Confidently, Loki gazed into Aiko’s blue pools and said, “I do. I welcome it with all my heart, soul, and being.”  
“And do you, Aiko Mina Orson, accept the care, love, and devotion from Loki, accepting his guidance and guardianship, and caring for him as if he were your own parent?”

  
With equal dedication, Aiko gazed into Loki’s ruby eyes and replied, “I do. I welcome it with all my heart, soul, and being.”  
“Are you ready to seal your father-daughter bond with the sharing of the cup?” Thor asked, quietly with a soft smile.

  
“I’m ready,” exclaimed Aiko. “This is what I have always wanted.”

  
“I, too, am ready, My King,” responded Loki. “I have been wishing for this day to happen ever since the day she jumped into my arms 12 years ago.”

  
In a loud, commanding voice, Thor declaimed, “Bring forth the Binding Cup.” He drew a short knife from his belt and offered it to Loki. The Jotunn gently pressed the tip of the sharp blade underneath the claw of his pointer finger, where the skin was less tough, drawing a tiny drop of midnight blue blood. He offered the knife back to Thor before accepting the gold chalice. The vessel had clear, cool water in it which would allow their bloods to mingle. He let the single drop of navy blood fall into the depths of the cup and handed it back to Thor. His brother accepted the blade back from Aiko who allowed a single drop of her scarlet life force to fall into the chalice.

  
Holding the cup in both hands, Thor raised it to the ceiling and proclaimed, “Through the power vested in me through my Kingship of Asgard, and through the power of their mingled blood and love, I now pronounce them Prince Loki Laufeyson and Princess Aiko Lokidottir!”

  
The chalice began to glow brightly, as if it were a star, causing Aiko’s skin to begin to luminesce. She gasped, grabbing Loki’s hand, feeling the magic of Asgard fill her being. Loki’s skin, in turn, also gave off a faint blue-ish light, though the Jotunn knew that nothing was happening to him physically. It was an affect of the binding spell, a symbol of their unity. When the glows faded, Aiko launched herself into Loki’s strong, bare arms. “I love you so much, Blue! I am so happy to be Lokidottir!”

  
Chuckling through the half-hearted applause that surrounded them, Loki whispered, “I am too, my daughter. I love you too.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Asgard**

  
The feast was a joyous affair, or at least it put on the guise of being one. There were empty seats at the tables, scattered here and there throughout the grand hall, but neither Loki nor Aiko minded. They were seated next to each other this evening, and were very happy with the arrangement. Loki was again on the end, a slight from Odin, he was sure, but he did not care. Aiko sat on his left with Frigga on her left. They were talking animatedly about the gift the Queen had just given his daughter with such enthusiasm on both of their parts that he just had to smile broadly. Odin sat on Frigga’s other side, his expression blank as he surveyed the room. Thor and Jane rounded out the table, looking cuddly and very much in love. His smile widened. There was a plan that was percolating in his mind which had begun to take root. It was not ideal for him, but it would make his brother and his sister-in-law very happy and it would leave the country in the hands of a legitimate heir instead of, well, himself. He did not need, or particularly want a throne. That was something that he had learned about himself during his ‘lost years’ as well as the last twenty that he had spent alone. There were so many other things that brought him happiness and joy, he did not need to be ruling a country to feel wanted.

  
When the food came, each individual receiving a single quail, an assortment of cooked vegetables and mashed potatoes with a thin gravy, Loki realized that he would be eating in front of Aiko for the first time. His stomach rumbled. Due to his late night and late rising, he had not eaten anything yet. His raw quail, rather slimy looking and still bleeding from where the feathers were plucked, looked rather gross. There were only uncooked root vegetables, no peppers, mushrooms or spinach like the other members of the assembly, minus the Jotunn contingent who were seated towards the back, probably another one of Odin’s schemes.

  
He could feel Aiko’s eyes on his plate. “They forgot to cook your food,” she said dumbfounded. “You’ve got t-”

  
“No,” he cut her off. “No, they didn’t. I, uh, can’t eat. Um, eat cooked food or anything grown above the ground. Because of the way that the heat effects the food and the fact that nothing grows in Jotunnheim, it effects my stomach and taste buds.” He paused, taking a quick glance sideways at the woman sitting next to him. “I’m sorry if this disgusts you. To be honest, it still disgusts _me_ even after nineteen years.”

  
He felt a warm hand fall onto his left Claws. He tipped his head towards the coffee colored hand, his ruby eyes rising slowly to meet a loving pair of sky blue orbs. “It’s ok, Blue. I told you once that I would love you, no matter what, and that, last time I checked, included what you need to eat to survive,” she smiled warmly.

  
He chuckled, rolling his eyes upwards. “I that case, my Love, I should warn you that I also eat the bones. They’re actually rather tasty.”

  
She smiled around her fork. “In that case, do you want mine?”  
________________________________________

  
The colors and the lights whirled around the dance floor but the only thing that attracted his attention was his daughter, spinning and laughing in the arms of various suitors. He was not completely thrilled with the fact that there were men who were ages older than his daughter, some even older than himself, who were actively trying to court her. His only comfort was that she would shoot a star-shaming smile his way every so often, making him think that she really was not that interested in the courtesans.

  
Giving Aiko a wave, Loki shifted over a seat to talk with the woman that he called his mother and the man next to her abruptly left. Ignoring the grumpy god, he turned his attentions to the goddess. “Hello, my dear son,” Frigga beamed, kissing Loki on his Horns. “I am so happy for you. You have grown into a fine man and I know that you will be a wonderful father. I just want you to know how proud I am of you.” Her hand ran over his cheek, stimulating his Jotunn ridges and causing him to lean into her warmth.

  
“You don’t know how much it means to hear you say that, Mother. To hear that someone that I love and respect so much be proud of _me_ , it’s unbelievable.” They sat, leaning against each other, enjoying their mutual closeness. “I know that I have been the less than perfect son and I have done things that no parent should have to witness. I just want you to know, Mother, that I am thankful for everything that you have done for me and I will work so hard to earn your love and pride. I love you so much.”

  
Loki kissed his mother on the cheek, leaning his forehead against her brow, accidentally knocking her in the head with his horns. “Ow!” she exclaimed, rubbing the top of her head. “Those definitely take getting used to.”

  
“You have _NO_ idea!” Loki laughed, absently rubbing the smooth surface of the ridges on the appendages. “They’re kind of growing on me.”

  
Frigga gave an unlady-like snicker. “That’s so true, honey. They are! I actually like them; I think they’re very regal.” She slowly caressed his left horn, taking in the texture. Loki would have been blushing if it was naturally possible for him to do so.

  
Taking a deep breath, the Jotunn turned to the goddess. “Mother, I have been mulling something over in my mind and I would like your opinion before I make my next move.”

  
Frigga looked quizzically at her son, but nodded. “Of course, Loki. What is troubling you?”  
___________________________________

  
Loki wound his way through the crowd, many of the people present quickly moving out of his way. Scanning the dance floor and the surrounding tables, the god found who he was looking for. Bruce Banner was sitting alone at a table in the far corner, trying to appear small and insignificant, avoiding the push and pulse of the crowd. The doctor gave a startled look when he saw the Jotunn moving his way but quickly covered it with a confused smile.

  
“To what do I owe the pleasure?” the shorter, grey hair man asked.

  
“Do you remember when you promised me a favor?” Loki asked, his eyes betraying his nervousness. The man who housed the Hulk nodded. “Of course.”

  
Loki continued, “I’d like to make good on that promise, but I ask for the utmost discretion.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Asgard** \- _One and a half months later_

  
Loki and Aiko had spent their mornings riding through the surrounding countryside. Odin, who insisted on being her grandfather in spite of his continued rejection of Loki, had gifted the new princess with a horse. The steed was a meek and quiet grey gelding whom Aiko had named Paradise after her home on Midgard. He was gentle but fast, and able to keep up with Loki’s fiery battle stallion, a black monstrosity he had borrowed from Thor, appropriately and ironically named Lightning. He showed his daughter the glades and forest trails that he and Thor had traversed in their misspent youths. She was able to make connections to places and events that he had told her in their hours in his prison. These mornings allowed the princess to see her new country as well as learn more about her father and became the highlight of the day for Loki and Aiko.

  
They had eaten their noontime meals together, a sandwich of leftovers or a light salad for her and bit of bread and cheese for him, still not quite comfortable eating raw meat in front of other people. He then delivered his daughter to the training ring. The All-Father had declared that, as an Aesir Princess, not only should she study the history and diplomacy of the realm and those beyond, but she should also learn the fighting arts. The Lady Sif, a formidable warrior of great renown and a friend that Loki had lost long ago, was assigned as Aiko’s training master. Nervous, Loki stayed near the training arena, reading his newest book, with a bewitched cover, and glanced at his daughter every so often. Sif was covering the basics of escaping various holds, having passed Aiko on ‘how to fall safely.’ Loki felt full of pride, watching his daughter escape Sif’s hard hand holds persisting until she broke free. He had taught her most of those moves when she was thirteen after her foster brother’s botched attempt to rape her. He was overjoyed to know that she had taken his lesson to heart while it also made him hope that she had never had to use the skills again until then with Sif.

  
A couple of hours later, Loki returned to the worn railing surrounding the training ring and watched Sif pull Aiko off the ground. The princess thanked the warrior who bowed in response. She shot Loki a familiar glance that read, ‘If you harm her, I will kill you’ before turning on her heel and moving forcefully across the sword arena.

  
“Did you see me, Blue!” Aiko called as she ran towards him. “Did you see me get away from Lady Sif?” She arrived by his side, covered in faint bruises and dust.

  
“I did, my dear. You were amazing, just like the last time I taught you,” he said smiling brightly. Not wanting to wait for her to open the gate, he reached over the fencing and picked her up in a basket carry, causing her to whoop with glee. After gently setting his incredibly dirty and sweaty daughter down, she spun around to face him, grabbing him around the middle and snuggling her face into his chest.

  
“You’re so cold,” she said lovingly, squeezing him tighter. She sighed, “I love you, Blue.”  
He kissed her hot forehead. “I love you too, my Child of Love. More than you can ever know.” The Jotunn pulled her face upward so that he could see the grin on her beautiful face. “Now, I think that _both_ of us are going to need a bath.”  
________________________________

  
Loki spent most of his late afternoon alone in his sitting room, reading his latest book, absorbing the information before reading little passages out of the Jotunn anatomy book. If he was going to do this, he wanted to know _exactly_ what he was getting into.

  
His mind wandered to Aiko. The princess was working so hard on her studies recently. He should reward her for her diligence. Maybe a short trip to the outer regions of Asgard or Vanaheim with Thor and Jane? He was still not comfortable in his own skin to wish to expose himself to public scrutiny. The Jotunn made a mental note to discuss that idea with his King and Queen before bringing the idea to Aiko. Her tutor had probably just recently left and she would be preparing for their evening meal with Thor, Jane, Frigga, and, unfortunately, the All-Father.

  
An ear-splitting shriek filled the air, causing Loki to jump and drop his books. “Aiko,” he whispered, spinning and running from his rooms. He met Thor and Jane in the hallway, both of them looking as frightened and shocked as he felt.

  
The Jotunn turned towards his daughter’s rooms. Raising a clawed hand to her varnished door, he knocked loudly. “Aiko! I’m coming in!” His hand inched towards the door knob, suddenly petrified about what he might find behind the solid oak.

  
“Jane and I are coming too, Aiko,” Thor boomed.

  
“NO!” came the shrill answer. “Just my dad.”

  
Loki’s hand turned the knob, a small part of him honored that she had just called him by that name, but mostly anxious. “I’m coming in.”

  
A quick scan of the room led the god to believe that his daughter was not in the sitting room. His claws rapidly clicked across the stone floor to Aiko’s bedroom. He ran around the corner, praying against to worst and was stopped suddenly by the sight of his Child of Love.

  
She was blue. More specifically, she was Jotunn. Her wide, ruby eyes stared back at him shocked. Her mouth hung open, revealing her fangs, and stretching her Jotunn lines that mirrored his almost exactly. She was wearing a loose, flowing gown, hiding most of her body from his eyes but what he observed was azure and ridged, complete with claws on her finger and toe tips. Her feet were, mercifully, not horned, her arches already high to begin with.

  
“Aiko,” Loki whispered hesitantly. “What happened?” She stared at him, her mouth opening and closing in shock.

  
“Blue?” she whispered. The Jotunn was unsure if she was addressing him or stating the fact that she was that color. He stepped forward and wrapped her unresponsive body into his arms.

  
“I would really like to know what happened, darling, but, if this - whatever **this** is - is permanent, know that you are still beautiful and I still love you, so very much.’” He kissed her head, thankful that she had not painfully sprouted the cumbersome horns that he had. Her cool tears slid down her face and coated his chest. “Shhh, please stop crying, my Love. Everything will be alright. I promise.”

  
Mentally, Loki was scrambling. He had no idea what had happened to his daughter. She had no seidr, at least none that he could sense, and she was loved by everyone, even those that would seek to harm him. There was no reason for her, alone in her bed chamber, to suddenly become Jotunn. None at all. And yet, it had happened. _What can I do?_ he cried in mental anguish, hurting inside for Aiko and her obvious distress that he could do nothing about. So, he tried again.

  
“Darling Aiko, please tell me what happened,” he murmured into her hair.


	11. Chapter 11

**Asgard**

  
Several minutes passed during which Aiko continued to cry and Thor, being as impatient as ever, pounded furiously on the door. “Brother! What is wrong?” he shouted, threatening to break the heavy oak doors to splinters with his insistent knocking.

  
Loki turned his head towards the door and covered Aiko’s exposed ear with his calloused palm before he yelled back. “You will be of no assistance here! Just let Mother know that we will be late for dinner!” He turned back to his daughter and kissed her hair again before backing up on to the bed and pulling her onto his lap, shifting her head to his shoulder. Her crying had become less violent and her sobs had faded to sniffles.

  
Magicking a handkerchief out of thin air, Loki offered it to the young woman on his lap. “Now, darling. Are we feeling a bit better? Do you think you could talk to me?” he asked softly. The princess nodded, wiping her eyes and cheeks with the handkerchief before blowing her nose.

  
“I-,” she took a shaky breath. “I was getting ready for dinner and I decided t-to w-wear Frigga’s g-gift.” She pulled up her blue ridged arm to reveal a bracelet that was made of interwoven gold, silver, and bronze. It looked like each metal was part of a tree, with the branches and twigs wrapping themselves around her delicate wrist.

  
“It’s very beautiful. I can see why you were so excited,” he said smiling.

  
“It is.” Aiko studied it, her ruby eyes intent as she turned her wrist over and over. “That’s not what got me excited, on my name day night, though.” Loki looked at her passively, letting his daughter tell her tale in her own fashion.

  
She continued, taking a deep breath. “Frigga told me that it was a wishing bracelet, that it would sense my deepest desires and grant them to me upon my first wearing. I-I _never_ thought that it would actually work.”

  
“Your deepest wish is to be Jotunn?” Loki asked, genuinely confused. He had thought that Aiko was completely happy. Why would she want to be a beast of mixed race? She was still very much herself, just cobalt with shocking red eyes, fangs and claws. She had retained her hair, and he hoped, her femininity. It was a strange spell that Frigga had spun on that bracelet because it had not succeeded in turning her entirely Jotunn, just as he did not look Jotunn entirely.

  
“No,” Aiko whispered into his chest. “I did not specifically want to be Jotunn. I-I wanted no one to doubt that I am truly your daughter.” She looked up at him with her round, ruby eyes, smiling though tears appeared to be brimming in their depths once again. “No one can doubt it now.” She sniffed, trying to keep the tears at bay.

  
“Oh, Aiko, my Child of Love. No one would ever doubt that you are my daughter, regardless of what your appearance is. I am sorry that this happened to you - it is very frightening and scary, I would know. However, I do know how to fix this, if you would like me to,” his gruff voice remained soft.

  
The woman had begun to observe her skin, tracing her Jotunn ridges along her bare arms which were very similar to his. “I-I’ve always wanted to look like you, Blue. You’re so regal and handsome; an azure angel, I use to think, come to protect me from my foster family and those bullies at school. I _still_ believe that. You have given me _everything_ , and - I can’t even look like you without feeling,” she paused, searching her brain for a way to express her inner feelings. “ **Ugly**.” She sighed. “I-I’m sorry. You must _hate_ me.”

  
Aiko grabbed his neck, her sobbing starting anew. Loki sat for a minute, reflecting on one word. _Ugly.Ugly. She thinks she’s ugly. Ugly. Blue and repulsive. Ruby-eyed and hideous. Clawed and fanged and repellent. Those words described him but never, **never** his daughter_. He wrapped his strong arms around her, feeling his ridges rub over her own. “How could I hate you? _Why_ would I hate you?” He tipped her head up by its chin. “I could never hate you and will never hate you. What I do hate is you, sitting here, not feeling beautiful. Let me fix this.”

  
The young woman’s breathing was unsteady and hiccup-y with her tears. “H-How d-do you d-do it, B-Blue? H-How d-do you l-live lik-ke th-thissss?” Her questions were deep, showing the depth of her despair, of her hatred of the Jotunn form that she found herself in. They cut him to his soul, dredging up feelings that he had thought were long suppressed.

  
He answered her honestly, resting his cheek on the top of her head. “I-I don’t. I lived in a prison for twenty years where half of the wall space was mirror, making me observe every subtle change that my body went through. I hated it so much, watching what I considered my humanity and self-worth slowly be stripped away. Nothing was untouched and it was devastating. It still is. I still wake up in the morning and think that I will see my pale, un-lined face, my green eyes again. That I will not go clicking down the halls or have to half-hold things to keep from impaling my hands on my claws. That I will be able to comfortably wear clothes again and eat cooked food, particularly sweets. I miss those so much. But everyday, I wake up and whack these ridiculous prominences of bone on the top of my head against the bed frame and I am reminded that I will never be the Aesir I was again, and it hurts and I begin to fill with self-loathing. And then I see you and your beautiful smiling face, and Thor and Jane and Frigga, whose joy is barely contained because I am here with them instead of there alone. And I am reminded of how lucky I am and how much I am loved and, even though I am ugly and I feel ugly, there are people who over look that part of me to see what lies beneath.” He smiled warmly at her. “And that, my darling, is how I live and will keep living until the day I am called to Helheim.”

  
Aiko seemed to be looking at him with new eyes. “You’re so strong, so wise,” she said. “I had no idea.”

  
“No one did, until now,” he replied still smiling at her. “And now you know my secret. So, let’s get you back to normal, shall we?”

  
She nodded, “Yes, please. I’m beginning to feel a little warm and rather uncomfortable.”

  
“Welcome to my world,” the Jotunn chuckled. He gently grasped the bracelet, sensing his mother’s seidr as it pulsed from it and over his daughter’s body. “Ah,” he whispered before slowly and carefully, so as to not scratch his daughter’s skin, he pulled it off. “Ta Da!” he smiled as the cobalt ridges gave way to coffee-colored skin and the scarlet faded to brilliant sky blue.

  
“How did you do that?” Aiko exclaimed, running her claw-free hands over her smooth, silky skin.

  
“Simple,” Loki replied, tossing the bracelet in the air and catching it one-handed. “The charm is attached to the bracelet. Whenever you put it on now, you will become Jotunn in appearance and basic form. Removing the bracelet will remove the charm.”

  
Aiko stared at her father before slowly asking, “So...we could visit Uncle Helblindi on Jotunnheim and I won’t freeze to death?”

  
“Exactly,” answered Loki, glad that his daughter found a practical purpose for her newest piece of jewelry. “He’ll be thrilled.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Asgard**

  
It took five days for the arrangements of their visit to be made. The Jotunn were about to begin a short festival of thanksgiving that would last five days. Helblindi insisted that Asgard send a contingent to enjoy their celebration of the latest harvest. Loki, as the brother to the King, would be attending. Aiko insisted on coming as well, wanting to use her grandmother’s gift as well as get out of a few days of study. The Jotunn insisted that his daughter also pack plenty of warm clothes, in case the bracelet only changed appearance and did not protect her from the cold expanse of Jotunnheim.

  
The morning of their departure found the father and daughter standing in Heimdall’s watch house staring out into the vast expanse of Yggdrasil with its swirling solar systems and multitude of stars. Thor, Jane, and Frigga had accompanied them to the circular building, almost sad to see the pair go.

  
The last month and a half had seen little change in the public perception of Loki, though he had proved to be an invaluable asset to Thor and a wealth of knowledge to the rest of the King’s Council. Loki’s old friends: Sif, Hogun, Fandral, and Volstagg, were all members of the board, along with a representative from Vanaheim and Jane, who represented Midgard. Eir, the Chief Healer, also sat on the Council for certain topics of discussion, but was not able to spare that much time. In spite of his atrocious appearance and his countless crimes against various races, the Council members were slowly acknowledging that Loki was in fact a living breathing creature with feelings, and he was pleased that a little bit of headway was being made. The Council of the Nine was not so welcoming, filled with stuffy, old aristocrats who were stuck in their ways and beliefs. Loki spent those meetings being glared at while his opinions were ignored or argued. Aiko, on the other hand, was fully embraced by the people of the Nine and was generally loved by all, but particularly the young men.

  
“Are you ready, Brother?” Thor asked, clapping the thinner man on the shoulder. “This is such an exciting opportunity for our people! Witnessing the reclusive Jotunn holding a thanksgiving festival for their harvest. I believe that it is the first time that an Aesir will ever be in attendance.”

  
“It is, My King,” Loki replied. “We will make you proud.” He drew Aiko close to him, smiling down at her eager face. She had put on the bracelet once they had arrived, but had become shy with her family, as if ashamed that she looked the way she did or, more specifically, had wished what she had. It still hurt Loki to see his confident daughter reduced to a shrinking violet. He was certain that a few days on Jotunnheim would change her tune. This trip was exactly what she needed.

  
He needed it as well. He was on a diplomatic mission for Thor as well as Helblindi, both of whom had hopes that this would lead to the Aesir visiting Jotunnheim on occasion. He was prepared to act on his plan, the one he had originally thought up about two months ago, but he still needed to learn a bit more. Helblindi would be able to give him the answers that he needed to help with his final decision.

  
“Well, we’d best be going,” Loki said, beginning to feel anxious as their small family continued to stand there. He quickly hugged Jane and Frigga, kissing each woman lovingly on the cheek. Thor wrapped him in a bear hug before he even had a chance to turn towards his brother.

  
“We’ll see you in a few days,” said Aiko, who was having difficulty extricating herself from Frigga.

  
Finally freed from their clinging family, Loki and Aiko stood hand in hand facing the Bifrost. “Ready when you are Heimdall,” Loki said, staring straight ahead.

  
Aiko turned, raising a fine, azure hand to the gathering, and said, “Love you and see you soon!” Then they were sucked into rainbow light.

  
**Utgard, Jotunnheim**

  
The rainbow gave way to swirling snow, a slight chill in the air, and a rather formidable looking assembly of Frost Giants. Aiko gasped and grasped Loki’s arm tightly, the only part of her body language that betrayed her nervousness. A particularly large Jotunn emerged from the back of the group, a wide, white bandage around his chest and a rounded belly preceding him. Loki bowed deeply, feeling Aiko’s curtsy by his side.

  
“Greetings from Asgard, Helblindi-King,” Loki said reverently before straightening. “You look...well.”

  
“I look pregnant is what you mean, Loki-Brother,” replied Helblindi as he scooped his shorter sibling into a hug. He did not hold Loki for long, as his attentions turned to Aiko.

  
“I believe that you have met my daughter, the Princess Aiko Lokidottir of Midgard?” the god said, gesturing to the beautiful woman on his right.

  
“Yes, we have been introduced, though I believe that, against all odds, she has grown lovelier in our time apart.” The Jotunn king kissed the girl’s hand. “How did this happen? Was this your doing, Brother?”

  
“No,” Loki replied. “As part of my punishment, I have lost the ability to shape shift living beings. Frigga, however, still does it on occasion.” He smiled, proud of his Mother for giving Aiko her gift.

  
“Well, Loki-Brother, you are going to have a difficult time keeping the admirers away from the stunning woman who is your daughter,” Helblindi kissed Aiko’s hand again before beckoning them forward, introducing various Jotunn lords along the way. Loki nodded at each introduction, trying in vain to remember each name and face, and knowing that he would have to ask again at a later time.

  
Aiko was busy surveying the surrounding area. It had changed greatly from Loki and Thor’s previous visit thanks, in part, to the Casket. Majestic towers loomed on the horizon, glimmering in the faint light from the clouded sun. The party walked on a path made of stone and ice bricks, created using alternating patterns. Stained glass filled the windows of every structure, regardless of it’s origin. The city had rebuilt itself and was alive with Jotunn from all walks of life.

  
“You’re people are marvelous craftsmen, Helblindi-King,” Aiko commented, taking in the ice sculpture of large flowers and strange birds between buildings.

  
“Thank you, Aiko-Princess,” Helblindi responded, smiling warmly. “We have your father’s safe return to thank for our rebirth as a city, a country, a world, and a nation. We hope that our peace with Asgard will bring about an age of prosperity for both of our realms.”  
The small party wound its way through the crowded streets, the Frost Giants moving aside for the king and his cohorts as well as their Aesir guests, bowing respectfully as they passed. Helblindi greeted his subject cordially, grasping forearms and clapping shoulders. He was a fine king, Loki realized, well in tune with his people.

  
“This is out largest celebration of the year. It follows our hunt in the North for the mummacak, a monstrous creature similar to what the Midgardians call an elephant, except hairy and ten times the size. It has six ears, three on each side of the head, and four tusks. One mummacak can feed an entire village for half of a winter and its pelt keeps away even the most biting cold. Everyone, even those in the far-reaches, return to tell their stories and sing their songs of the hunt as well as partake in the last of the perishable goods that will not last the winter.” The King explained the tradition to Aiko and Loki, highlighting tales from years past and introducing more Jotunn.

  
Loki became lost in thought and the incredible sights until their group walked under a particularly large shadow and the crowd began to fade. They had reached the palace of Jotunnheim, restored to most of it’s former glory.


	13. Chapter 13

**Utgard, Jotunnheim**

  
The massive ice and stone door to the palace stood forty feet tall, dwarfing Helblindi and his entourage in their shadows. It took three Jotunn on each door to open the enormous structures, swinging them outward and welcoming the party into the grand foyer. The entry way had changed drastically since Loki’s last visit. The stairs, still four feet apart also included an Aesir-sized set of steps along side of it, ice railings of various heights ran up the stories with captured images of flora and fauna in their intricate webbing. Floor to ceiling stained glass panels, depicting tales of Jotunn bravery and diplomacy (including the twin to Thor’s gift), flooded the hall with light and even seemed to radiate a bit of comfortable warmth. The floor, a mixture of cobblestone and ice, was covered in carpets woven from various animal pelts and wool-like fibers.

  
Helblindi, observing his brother’s stunned face, asked “Would you like a tour, Loki-Brother, Aiko-Niece?” Aiko nodded, her jaw still dropped as her ruby eyes strained to take in every glorious detail. “Alright, then. Please follow me.”

  
The king, in spite of his rounded state, still strode purposefully, guiding his family through his rebuilt home. The grandiose foyer gave way to the throne room/grand hall. It was also huge, rows and rows of granite pillars accented with ice ran the length of the room. Loki noticed the similarities to that of Asgard’s Grand Hall and mentioned it to Helblindi as they wove their way through the pillars.

  
His brother chuckled. “Of course it is similar! The Jotunn built your grand hall and, in fact, most of your palace in Asgard before the Great War that ended our peace. You’ll notice, however, that ours has more intricate craftsmanship, especially on the pillars. Do you see the tiny figures that wrap around each?” Loki had not until the King had pointed it out. “That, Brother, is our family. Each Jotunn is carved into a pillar on the day of his birth. Each pillar is a family line. Many have died out long ago, no more figures will be added to the pillars. Others, such as ours, will be so long that we will take over other columns, continuing to plot our legacy and family history.”

  
The three of them continued down the seemingly endless rows of pillars to find a craftsman hard at work on a pillar to the right of the ornate throne. “How do you fare, Hrodr?” Helblindi asked the stone smith.

  
“Well, Your Majesty. I am nearly done.” The stone smith smiled at Loki and Aiko. “Would you like to see? I think it is a good likeness.”

  
Following Hrodr’s pointed finger, Loki found two new images carved next to one that had to be Helblindi. One had the face of an Aesir, ridged and lined, with a pair of arching horns over it’s brow. The other was a mortal girl, her fine bone structure and dancing eyes caught by the mason.

  
“That’s me,” Aiko whispered, stroking the figure with a single, blue finger.

  
The King smiled. “Yes, of course it’s you. You, Aiko-Princess, are part of this family, are you not?” His statement was rewarded by a star-shattering smile and a hug around his growing girth, the small girl’s head resting just under his belly button. A bit shocked, Helblindi patted Aiko gently on the head before saying, “We should continue. I am sure that you will wish to see your quarters so that you may rest before the beginning of the festival.”

  
The Jotunn led the Aesir representatives back into the foyer and up the stairs, moving slowly so that their smaller legs could keep up. The stairs seemed to wind endlessly upward, making Loki’s legs ache. _I am going to need to start training again_ , he thought, disappointed that he had allowed himself to get that out of shape. On the seventh floor landing, Helblindi exited the stairs and turned left. “This floor holds out guest chambers, with furnishings suitable for people of your shorter stature. While you are the first visitors that we have hosted in over a millennium, I have a hope that there will be more in the near future.”

  
The King stopped outside of a ‘normal’- sized oak door with a small stained glass window in the center. “This is the room for the Princess,” he said gently pushing the door open with his massive hand. “Please let me know, Aiko-Niece, if there is anything that you require.” Aiko assured the Jotunn that she would and entered the chamber, eyes wide with wonder.

  
Helblindi brought Loki to the room next door and pushed the door open for him as well. “I hope that you will like the modifications that I have had arranged for you, Brother. It is my hope that these will be the chambers that you will find comfort in when you visit your family here.” He smiled at the smaller Frost Giant, absently rubbing his belly.

  
“Thank you, Helblindi-King. I am sure that they will be perfect.” The larger Jotunn turned to go when Loki reached a clawed hand out and touched his leg. “Brother. May I ask you something? It is a personal query.”

  
The King turned, his smile growing even broader. “Of course, Loki-Brother. Anything!” 

“How does it feel?” Loki felt foolish, knowing that he would be blushing in his Aesir skin. “Being pregnant, I mean?”

  
Helblindi’s ruby eyes became quizzical and he sat on the carpeted floor of the hallway, making himself eye level with his older sibling. His eyes were met by the smaller Jotunn’s questioning gaze, honest and open, truly curious. The King gave a small smile, his large hand resting on his stomach. “Wonderful,” he replied, “Absolutely wonderful. Do not get me wrong, Brother. There are parts that I have loathed: the morning sickness, the constant need to pee, the weight gain, though thankfully as Jotunn, it is mostly baby. Most recently,” he gestured to the bandage on his chest, “the tenderness of my growing breast buds has been rather painful, but I long for the day when I can hold my child there and give him nourishment and then, once he is weaned, have them vanish again.”

  
Helblindi paused, smiling thoughtfully down at the rounded azure of his abdomen. “I would, and probably will, do all of this again to feel the life that is growing inside me. To feel his heartbeat, to feel his movement; it is a joy that none can ever take away from me. I am just ending my first trimester and I am looking forward to the coming eight months, as is Elksa. We are so very excited to be bringing this new life into this new world, filled with hope. And it’s all thanks to you, Loki-Brother.” The larger Jotunn slowly worked his way to his feet. “Now I will leave you to get some rest. The festivities will begin this evening, in about five hours.” And with that, the King strode purposefully down the hall and towards the stairs.

  
Loki turned and entered his chambers, immediately greeted by a small sitting room with a large stained glass window running the length of the back wall. It depicted the four seasons, beginning with the frosty landscape of Jotunnheim and concluding with the fall foliage of Midgard. Each realm and season blended effortlessly into the next, almost signifying Helblindi’s wish for peace throughout the Nine. The light from the window illuminated a small oak desk and chair as well as a longer oaken table with six cushioned chairs and an impressively large, and mostly filled bookshelf. The room and the window rounded, with a small hallway in the back right corner, which Loki followed to a small bathroom, complete with a hot spring and an inlaid granite tub. The opposite side of the curved sitting room led to a bed chamber that was small, with a tiny wardrobe (loincloths and capes really don’t take up that much space) and was primarily dominated by a nest shaped bed filled with various, luxurious pelts and plush pillows.

  
Loki clambered into the strange, round, bowl-like piece of furniture, and gently leaned back against the pillows. He waited for the accustomed pressure and felt none. Tentatively, he reached his hand up and ran it along one of his horns. When his hand came in contact with nothing but open air underneath the tips, Loki relaxed, breathing a sigh of relief and slight shock. He would be able to sleep without his chin touching his collarbone, without waking and bumping his protuberances on the bed frame. _He could sleep on a pillow_ for the first time in twenty years. He made a mental note to thank Helblindi as well as to order one for his chambers in Asgard before drifting off into a deep and very comfortable sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

**Utgard, Jotunnheim**

  
Loki awoke a few hours later by a soft, cool body lying against his. He lazily opened a ruby eye and lowered his head to his daughters curls. “Mmmpf,” he groaned. “What time is it?”

  
Aiko’s fingers continued to trace the ridges along the inside of his arm absently, her own scarlet gaze meeting her father’s. “It’s nearly five. I figured that you would want time to get ready, so I came to wake you. And then I got distracted.” Her fingers continued their path, but on her own arm. “We match.”

  
Loki smiled slightly, “We should. A Jotunn’s ridges tell his - or her - story and family line.” His fingers rubbed her cheek affectionately. “You are only missing Bergelmir’s Tears, as far as I can tell, and that is because his blood does not flow in your veins. The rest, my Daughter, you inherit through our binding ceremony and mark you as mine. I am sorry that they are everywhere.”

  
She smiled up at him. “Don’t be. They make you, you, and, as far as I can tell, they do not lie. I am proud to bear the same ridges while we are here.” He kissed her forehead in a combination of love, gratitude, and happiness. “Now, come on, Blue! We’ve got places to be, people to meet, festivals to attend!”

  
Aiko crawled out of the nest bed and scurried from the room. “I’ll meet you in a half hour!”

  
The Jotunn stretched, his ridges stimulated by the rich furs. He flexed his fingers and toes, marveling in how good he felt. Lastly, he raised one of his hand to rub the back of his neck before realizing that, for the first time in years, he had woken up without a crick there. He had awoken feeling fully rested and truly happy.  
_____________________________

  
The streets were filled with vendors of every kind, the artisans calling from their stalls, advertising their wares. Color of every shade and possibility was draped throughout the city in cloth, paintings, sculptures, food and flowers. The crush of the crowd was invigorating and rather strange. Loki was so used to people shying away from him, avoiding his skin as if it would burn them (which it could, but only when he wanted it to), that the sea of legs and torsos in which he and Aiko found themselves was very peculiar and welcome. He did not feel like an outcast, a creature to shy from, a monster to evade. No, instead, he was a foreign dignitary, the brother of the King, and an honored guest.

  
He’d lost count of the number of hands he had shook, the number of times his braided hair had been stroked by a Jotunn child, the number of times he had been thanked by a Jotunn elder for bringing about peace between their realms and restoring the Casket to them. Aiko was similarly swamped by curious Jotunn. Many of the people had never seen a woman before, much less a woman wearing their skin. The children especially were fascinated, pulling at her braid and dress. Younger Jotunn kissed her hands and, much to Loki’s displeasure, attempted to woo her with small gifts of brightly colored paper, ribbons, and flowers.

  
The feast began late in the evening, with Helblindi and Elksa placing Loki and Aiko at their head table. The food, a strange and mixed variety of root vegetables of various colors and textures were brought forth, along with giant blocks of cheese. Loki and Aiko tried a bit of everything, Loki having more success than his daughter at stomaching some of the food. The symphony of tastes were like those that Loki had never thought existed. Some of the roots were ashy, others clay-like in taste. Some were incredibly sweet causing him to moan in pleasure at the flavor that he had thought he would never experience again. He promptly grabbed five more of the vegetables, grinning like child on Christmas towards his daughter, who had apparently not had the same reaction. She offered him the rest of hers, which he graciously accepted.

  
At the end of the feast, the music began. A choir of 100 Jotunn made the city ring with their ethereal voices while the rest of the populace danced and clapped along. Loki had never heard anything so beautiful in his life, the music touching his soul and grabbing it like a vice. He had sung before, many times, alone in his cell, amazed that his rough speaking voice could produce such a sound, but hearing 100 trained Frost Giants was so different. A truly spectacular wall of sound engulfed him as he listened, eyes closed, absorbed in the music. Aiko slid her hand in his, resting her head on his bare shoulder. Loki sighed, enjoying the closeness with the woman he loved so purely and unconditionally as they were wrapped in the resonant tones.

  
A soft cough to his left caused Loki to open his eyes. A tall Jotunn stood before him, his head bowed and his scarlet eyes questioning. “Excuse me, Loki-Prince, but, may I have this dance?”

  
Loki’s eyebrows raised as he turned to face his daughter. She seemed equally surprised but she smiled and nodded. “Go, Blue. I can handle myself.”

  
Loki gave her a mock frown, eyebrows still raised. “Apparently your old man’s still got it!” he whispered in her ear, causing her to giggled as he stood and faced the Jotunn offering his clawed hand.

  
“I would be honored -”

  
“Fjolsvin, Your Lordship,” the Jotunn offered, taking Loki’s hand reverently.

  
“Thank you, Fjolsvin.” As Loki was ushered on to the dance space in the vast square, he saw Helblindi laughing good-naturedly as he danced with his life-mate, Elksa. It turned uproarious when Fjolsvin picked Loki up like a rag doll, his left hand in the larger giants right and the other Jotunn’s left hand in his right armpit, and twirled him about in circles. Loki, while feeling utterly ridiculous, noticed that the other Frost Giant was not dancing with him in jest but was going about it seriously and did not comment, curbing his barbed tongue.

  
As the night passed into dawn and the dawn into the morning, both Loki and Aiko were shuffled among the Jotunn as tiny dance partners, their feet never touching the ground. Helblindi had insisted on dancing with each of them, twirling about on his knees for Loki, knowing his older sibling’s dislike of being man-handled thanks to an unfortunate run-in with a green monster on Midgard. For Aiko, the King held her close as they spun, the woman sitting on his stomach as if it were a chair, her arms wrapped securely around his azure neck. As the final dance was called, the father and daughter found each other, exhausted but smiling like neither of them had before. Holding her close, enjoying the feeling of her cool breath against his collar bone, Loki kissed her forehead, smelling her sweet scent, unmasked by the glamor of Jotunn skin.

  
“Blue?” she asked his chest.

  
“Hmm?” he replied, still nuzzling her hair.

  
“After today - well, I guess it’s yesterday now, do you want to stay here? I’ve noticed how people treat you differently.”

  
Her question gave him pause. He could not say that it did not cross his mind that the last day and a half had been so different for him. He had never truly felt welcome in Asgard, even when he bore Odin’s spell. He had never felt unwelcome, per se, but he was never like Thor, loved by the people, loved by his - _Thor’s_ father. Here, in Jotunnheim, among his true people, he was revered, a savior in a sense who had brought the Casket home and whom had brokered a peace with their worst and deadliest enemy. He was cared for properly. He could eat all of the food laid before him without wondering if those around him would find it disgusting or repulsive. He could _sleep. In a BED!_ It was like nothing he had ever felt before, this feeling of belonging.

  
Except that he _had_ felt it before. He had felt it the day that he had woken up to a little bird and a pile of rosemary on a rough cobblestone floor, etched and lined. He had felt it when he received the tiny creature’s ‘kiss’ before it had flown south for the winter months. He had felt it when he had talked to a recently widowed woman, desperate for love. He had felt it when that little five year old girl had jumped with reckless abandon into his arms on that first day and it had never left while she was there, near him, in Paradise, Alaska. He had thought he had lost it when she was taken from him, in the beginnings of the adoption that would change his life. It had returned to him when he saw her, feverish and comatose in the healing wing and in that moment, he knew that he had found his home and his place of belonging.

  
“Aiko, that is a very good question,” he began. “It is tempting to want to stay here where I fit in, where I was born to be, and yet, I could not stay here, not without you and not without letting down my brothers and their peoples. By being myself, embracing my true form, as much as it pains me and as difficult as it can be, I must be the link for Jotunnheim in Asgard and the link for Asgard in Jotunnheim to forge a more permanent and less hate-filled peace. My task is far from done.” He paused, kissing her head. “But I do certainly plan to visit often.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Utgard, Jotunnheim**

  
The next four days flowed together. They were filled with color, music, delicious food (in Loki’s opinion), dancing, and laughter. When the festival drew to a close, the participants, Jotunn and Aesir alike, were exhausted but incredibly joyful. Helblindi closed the celebration with a toast to the good harvest, which would certainly last the cold, dark winter that was coming, and to the peace that had been achieved this year.

  
“May next year prove even more fruitful!” The King exclaimed, drinking from his chalice. A general roar from the assembled Jotunn as well as the two visitors seconded the motion and everyone drank the cool, clean water in their chalices before beginning to disperse. Many Jotunn returning to their homes or gathering their belonging into packs on their back and long sleds before leaving town to return to their remote villages.

  
Loki and Aiko gathered their few belongings and prepared to leave the shining city and their family behind. They were glad to be returning to Asgard. The month of September was upon them and much had to be done in preparation for Asgard’s winter. While it would be nice to return to the warmth, more for Aiko than Loki, they both knew that this would be the last time they would see Helblindi and Elksa before Jotunnheim shut down for it’s winter hibernation. There would be no travel there until the April thaws, right around Helblindi’s due date. The King hugged both his brother and his niece powerfully, making them promise to return on the first of April when most of the winter chill would be passed.

  
“Of course, Helblindi-Uncle,” Aiko said. “I want to be here when you welcome your heir into the world.” The King beamed.

  
“I would not wish it any other way, my darling Aiko. Now hurry home before Thor-King thinks I’ve stolen the treasure of Asgard!”

  
Cheerfully waving, Loki called, “Heimdall, we are ready!” and the Bifrost took them.  
_____________________________

  
**Asgard**

  
The rainbow light receded to the golden cogs and wheels of the gatekeeper’s post. “Brother!” Thor’s booming voice cut through the dying Bifrost. “Aiko, my darling!” Strong arms pulled the Jotunn and his daughter from the light and into a warm embrace. “We have missed you!”

  
The two travelers were passed from arm to arm, squeezed first by Thor, then embraced by Jane, and lastly kissed by Frigga. Once the reunion had ended, Loki looked at the faces of his family, noticing for the first time that their joy was masking something. His moniker allowed him to spot secrets and lies. His brother, sister-in-law, and mother were keeping something from him and Aiko.

  
“What is wrong?” he asked, holding Frigga at arms length, searching her face before flicking his gaze to Thor.

  
The King bowed his head, mournfully. “Our f- The All-Father has fallen into the Odin-Sleep. He has been sleeping since you left and...,” his voice broke. “The healers do not think he will reawaken.” Thor looked up at his brother, tears running from his blue eyes. “H-his vital signs are so low, Loki. H-he’s dying.”

  
Jane wrapped an arm around her husband’s waist, her head bowed with his confession. Frigga’s storm grey eyes were glistening in spite of her strong stance, ever the Queen in the face of tragedy. Loki felt a sinking feeling in his stomach and a hole punched in his chest. The last time Odin had slept, he had been given the throne, the burden, the _responsibility_. He had loathed it and had sent the Destroyer to Thor for his brother to prove his worthiness so that he would no longer have to wear the crown. He had just wanted to be a worthy son, a _wanted_ son. And now, he would never achieve it.

  
He felt a warm arm wrap around his, a hand linking fingers with his blue phalanges. _Aiko_. She was losing another family member, one that loved her very much, even if he loathed her father. Loki turned his ruby eyes to meet her blue ones, her bracelet grasped in her free hand. Her face was wounded, trying not to let emotion overwhelm her even though it was just below the surface. “Blue?” she whispered, her voice wavering. He wrapped her into his cold chest, his free hand moulding to the back of her head and staying there, allowing her the privacy she needed to let her tears flow.

  
Through the sadness around him, Loki felt nothing. A numbness engulfed him, blanking his face of any emotion and his heart of any feeling. His mind was blank, his ambitions and dreams, gone. The joy he had felt in Jotunnheim was eradicated.

  
“I need to see him.”  
________________________________

  
Odin looked so peaceful when wrapped in the Odin-Sleep, his eye closed and his face blank. This weakness had always seemed so strange to Loki as a child. His powerful, commanding father, reduced to a sleeping old man, locked in a coma for an indefinite amount of time. Most Odin-Sleeps lasted for a day or two at most with Odin’s vitals remaining strong and healthy. This was different. The All-Father had a pallid complexion, waxy in appearance and cool even to his already cold touch. His pulse was slow, his breathing shallow. His face was not peaceful but exhausted, an expression Loki had never seen before on the All-Father’s brow.

  
“Please,” the Jotunn asked. “Give us some time alone.” The healers, already wary, turned to their King who stood behind his brother.

  
“Of course, Loki. We’ll be just outside if you need anything.” The large, warm hand left his shoulder and the sound of many footsteps, followed by the closing of large cedar doors told the youngest son that he was alone with his once-father.

  
Slowly and unsure, the Jotunn slipped his blue, ridged hand through the golden barrier that encased the All-Father’s bed and gently grasped the old man’s hand in his claws. He sat that way for a while, his mind blank on what to do next. Finally, he drew breath and spoke.

  
“All-Father. I have been an ungrateful child and a monstrous man.” He paused, unsure of how to continue. “I have done terrible things both of my freewill and through torture and threats. I have almost led to the ruin of two worlds because of my rash, uneducated, and unthinking actions. And I did it all because I thought that was what _you_ wanted me to do. I have struggled my entire life, my entire existence to receive your acceptance, your approval, your affection, your...love. It is only recently that I realized that I would never get it, that I am the secret that you kept hidden in your closet, away from the world out of shame. You could never love me like a son, I see that now, for who could love a Frost Giant, especially one who was destined to cause Chaos and Ruin?”

  
He swallowed, the lump in his throat expanding as tears began to trace his Jotunn ridges down his cobalt cheeks. “I know now and I understand. And, it is alright. I accept my fate, my form, my faults. They will never be changed as hard as I try, because I will never change in your eyes or the eyes of the people. I do not accept, however, that I have never had the courage to tell you something which is why I must tell you it now, before it is too late.”

  
He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. “Odin, All-Father, I am grateful for the life you have given me, for the loved ones that I can hold near, for the ability to bring about change that I never thought was imaginable. I am thankful for the punishment you bestowed on me nearly twenty-one years ago because it _has_ changed me completely. Because of you, I respect all life, I understand the power that my actions hold. Because of you, I have learned selfless love. Because of you, all those years ago, I have had the most incredible life and I will spend every last breath proving to you that it was worth it. That I was worth saving. And I hope, someday, I can make you truly proud.”

  
He slowly let go of Odin’s wrinkled hand and pulled his hand out from the golden shield. Rising from the chair, he collected himself and wiped his eyes, glad, for once, that their ruby color would prevent anyone from guessing that he had been crying. Inhaling through his nose, the Jotunn strode across the room and opened the doors, allowing the healers and his brother back in, and walked purposefully away from the All-Father’s chambers, never looking back.


	16. Chapter 16

**Asgard**

  
The following months were filled with a constant flurry of activity over the ever-present weight of worry. The All-Father did not wake. Instead he dreamed on, sleeping in his comatose state, hovering just above death. His responsibilities as All-Father fell to Thor, and, through Thor, Loki. The two brothers became nearly as inseparable as they had been in their childhood and it was a rare sight if one was spotted without the other. Thor ruled the Nine well, guided by Loki’s wisdom and experience as he dealt with trade agreements, crop failures, and minor disagreements. Asgard continued to thrive under his rule, bringing in a bountiful harvest and a successful hunt, leaving their stores bursting and allowing Thor to gift the drought-stricken Niflheim with rations of food.

  
While the two brothers, Aesir and Jotunn, were becoming a common sight in Asgard, with Loki not even causing much more than a slight grumble or a diverted gaze in public, their interactions with the rest of the Nine were rather surprising to the peoples of those realms. In early autumn, shortly after Thor took up the mantle of the All-Father, a pair of farmers from Vanaheim came before him in the great golden hall of Asgard over a problem that they had. Both Vanir were shocked to find the King seated on his half-moon throne with a Jotunn standing by his right side. One of the men, later found to be the source of all the issues between the two farmers, refused to set his case before Thor with ‘the hideous creature’ present in the room.

  
Loki’s proud stance had faded with the statement, discouraged, humiliated, and once again reminded of the form that he barely tolerated upon himself. The lack of open animosity from the Asgardians, the unwavering love he received from his family, as well as the lack of Odin’s constant scowl and averted glare in his presence, Loki had begun to not exactly get over his blue-ridged, red-eyed, horned and clawed appearance, but he had become effective at ignoring it. Being publicly called out and reminded of his status as the resident monster made Loki feel shame and total loathing towards himself, his head hung as he stared at his hands against the exposed azure of his abdomen.

  
Thor had quickly put an end to the Vanir’s disrespect, however, stating, “Then your case shall not be heard. The other gentleman is in the right and you must return or replace all stolen and damaged property to him. You are dismissed.” As the man protested, throwing fake apologies into the air as if they were confetti, Thor had leveled his gaze at the man. “Guards. Remove this - _barbarian_ my sight.” The farmer had collapsed on the marble floor, crying and begging for Thor to reconsider. The soldiers had picked him up by his armpits and he was dragged out of the hall, screaming all the way.

  
Loki leaned down to Thor’s ear and whispered, “Do NOT leave his family desolate on my account. What is another bruise to my already bloody ego? Release him at the Bifrost site. We would not want his gaping mouth to feed through the winter any way.” The king nodded and called, “Stop.”

  
The guards paused, turning to face their liege while still firmly and roughly grasping their captives upper arms. “My _Brother_ has insisted, in his wisdom and mercy, that this man be taken to the Bifrost site and returned to his family. Please obey his wishes, and, know this: **Anyone** who has even the _slightest_ problem with my Chief Advisor, will not have their case heard and will no longer be welcomed in this hall or any other in Asgard. Am I clear?”

  
The monumental hall had resounded only with Thor’s words. Though it had been rather full with disgruntled people from nearly every realm, Loki could not even hear a single person breathing besides himself. No one moved, no one said anything. Thor gave a small cough and said, “Shall we continue?” Loki bowed his head and gave a small but gratefully sad smile. There had not been a single problem that had been verbalized against Loki’s presence anywhere after that, and he had begun to feel less like an animal in a zoo and more like a social outsider, present but not invited.   
___________________________________

  
December was soon upon them, and with it, the promise of the Midgardian tradition of Christmas. It had started with Jane prior to her marriage to Thor during one of her prolonged stays in the palace, and was continued every year afterwards due to it’s unbridled success. The royal family were the only group of residents on Asgard who partook in that particular holiday, but the celebration would give the brothers a much needed day off and everyone was very much looking forward to it’s coming. Aiko spent hours holed up in her chambers, feverishly painting, Loki assumed. He had stealthily visited Midgard, Niflheim, and Vanaheim to collect his gifts to give to his family. He had even procured a rare fire opal, which preserved the hot and burning substance within it’s colorful shell, for Odin in hopes that it might help warm his once-father in his Sleep.

  
As the end of the month neared, Loki became increasingly nervous about his gifts for Thor and Jane. He was certain that they would be thrilled but he still worried about the implications that it would hold for him. He had been home on Asgard for eight months, barely enough for the people to stop regarding him as a monster in both the physical and psychological sense. With his upcoming Christmas gifts, he would shift from a monster to a freak fairly quickly. In spite of his twenty-one years spent obtaining and then living in this Jotunn body, his acceptance was still only skin deep and then, just barely. There were other things he was capable of, but could he allow himself to explore those things for his brother’s happiness? He had wished that the answer was as easy as the question being posed.


	17. Chapter 17

**Asgard**

  
Loki woke Christmas morning with a warm body laying next to him in his pile of pillows and blankets and a head full of thick, wavy dark brown hair draped across the left side of his Mantle and shoulder. Aiko’s steady breathing over his heart was comforting and he showed his appreciation for the contact by wrapping his left arm around her slim shoulders and stroking her hair with the claws of his free hand.

  
“Hmmmmm,” the princess sighed. “I didn’t realize how much I missed you.” Her striking blue eye met Loki’s touched scarlet ones. “Merry Christmas, Blue!” She beamed, kissing him on his Bergelmir’s Tears. “Now GET. UP! We have presents to open!”

  
She gave him another quick peck on the cheek before sliding out from underneath the downy comforter he had sprawled across his lap and ran from the room, laughing like a child.

  
Loki, infected by her overwhelming joy, quickly went through his morning routine, brushing and braiding his hair, cleaning his fangs, and pulling on a pair of loose fitting trousers. The lack of overpowering heat cause him to want to dress a bit more modestly, whether he physically needed to or not. Lastly, he retrieved his wrapped presents from the top of his wardrobe and left his rooms to join his family in Frigga’s sitting room.

  
Frigga’s chambers, situated next to the All-Father’s, were across the palace near the gardens. The morning air was brisk but invigorating for the Frost Giant, his steps muffled by the carpets that lined the floors and the tapestries that hung from the walls. As kids, he and Thor would love the winter due to the added entertainment options that the new furnishings brought. The carpets became sleds on the polished floors while the tapestries became new places to hide during hide-and-seek. Now, they helped the palace retain heat, making Loki thankful for his ring, and made his travel time much slower, his claws getting caught on even the tiniest of pulls in the carpets.

  
Due to the holiday, a majority of the serving staff was allowed the day off. Only the most needed remained behind at the palace: Thor’s valet, Aiko, Jane, and Frigga’s ladies-in-waiting, the cook and a couple of servers, and a few of the healers who remained with Odin. The lack of servants meant that Loki was able to travel between his rooms and Frigga’s without being seen by another soul and kept the shocked inhales and murmurings from his blue ears and thus kept his mood light.

  
Upon reaching Frigga’s chambers, the Jotunn opened the doors with his seidr, his arms full of gifts, and transitioned carpets easily. A soft, welcoming voice, said, “Merry Christmas, My Darling! Here. Put those gifts under the tree.”

  
A warm hand touched his arm and guided him towards a towering pine tree, it’s smell infiltrating his nose and sinking into his pores. After placing his offerings below the plant, Loki turned and hugged Frigga, kissing her lovingly on her brow. “Merry, Christmas, Mother,” he beamed. “Am I the first to arrive? Aiko woke me this morning and practically sprinted from my chambers in excitement.”

  
“No, Darling, you are the first.” She spun her son around so that he was facing the giant evergreen. “Tell me: What do you think of this magnificent tree?”

  
Loki, unsure of what a tree had to do with giving and receiving presents, regarded it with a ruby eye. It was dripping with strings of fine gold and silver, as well as odd, glass baubles made with swirled designs. Small candles were seated throughout, flickering in their magic which kept the tree from burning. It was strangely beautiful, a tree with elaborate decorations and brightly wrapped packages underneath. “It is lovely, Mother. You did a fine job,” he said, feeling Frigga’s smile blossom without having to look at her. He smiled at her, wrapping her in another hug.

  
“Mother,” he said quietly. “I think that this is the happiest I have been in my entire life.”

  
Frigga looked up at his blue face. “Why do you say that, Loki?”

  
His eyes, soft and warm, found his mother’s stormy grey orbs that were full of love. “Because, for the first time in my life, I am surrounded by the people I love without a care or thought to what other people think and, I know that I am loved more than I truly know and rightly deserve. I feel like I have found what I was born to do, what I was born to become, and it fills me with such joy to know that I don’t have to struggle any more. That I can just... _be._ ”

  
“Well,” a booming voice cut in from the doorway. Loki spun around, his braid whipping through the air like one of his throwing knives. He was met by Thor, Jane, and Aiko, all burdened with piles of colorful paper and boxes. Frigga kept one of her arms wrapped tightly around her youngest child’s waist as the speaker finished his thought.

  
“I think I speak for all of us present in this room when I say that we have never been happier than to have you home with us. **And** that you have brought our most prized Aiko to us, our little Treasure of Asgard.” He clapped a meaty hand on Aiko’s shoulder, earning him a sharp elbow to his ribs.

  
“I am not ‘little,’ Uncle. I resent that!” The woman gave him a mock frown over her packages.

  
“Well, it is the truth,” Thor chuckled, his hand leaving her shoulder to hold his side. “You are smaller than even Jane, and Jane often reminds me that good things come in small packages.” He scanned the presents under the tree. “And some of those are very tiny.”

  
The family laughed as the final three members arranged their packages under the mighty evergreen. Frigga rang for tea and hot chocolate to be brought from the kitchens, along with a light breakfast that consisted of bread, cheese, fruits, and pastries. Loki’s mouth watered at the sight of the delicate danishes, but he picked up a roll and a small hunk of cheese, knowing that the fluffy sweets would only upset his stomach. He sighed, not for the first time wishing that he had saved some of the sweet roots from Jotunnheim. After eating those, his sweet tooth was back with a vengeance and he had nothing to fill it here. Aiko sat beside her father, studying his face and, like the observant daughter she was, knew exactly what he was thinking. She placed her plate down and rested a hand on his cloth covered knee, pensive but comforting. Loki watched an idea dawn on her beautiful face, her eyes lighting up.

  
“I’ll be right back!” The young woman sprang from her seat and hurried from the room.

  
“What was that about?” Jane wondered aloud.

  
“I have no idea,” Loki said, his eyes wide with curiosity.

  
“Maybe she just forgot something in her rooms,” Frigga suggested. “She knows we won’t start without her.” She smiled over her tea, blowing on the steam. Thor shrugged and continued to eat his fill of the fruits and pastries. Jane rubbed his thigh lovingly, whispering sweet comments into his ear and making him blush. Loki picked at the remains of his breakfast and waited for Aiko to return.

  
The girl returned moments later, carrying an ice bucket. Gleefully plopping down by her father’s side, she opened the lid to reveal that it was full of ice cubes. Still smiling, she poured a half mug of the steaming brown liquid that she had called hot chocolate, and placed it on the table. She then heaped the rest of the mug with ice, swirling the contents around before handing the liquid to Loki. “Try it,” she insisted, eyebrows raised.

  
Wary, and knowing that solid chocolate did not agree with him, the Jotunn raised the now cooled liquid to his blue lips and took a minuscule sip. It’s rich flavor enveloped his tongue and coated the inside of his mouth with a deep sweetness like nothing he had ever experienced before. It tasted so different from regular chocolate, causing him to wonder how it was made. Slowly, he swallowed, the liquid warming his insides.

  
Aiko raised an eyebrow expectantly. “It’s...really wonderful,” Loki said, surprised at the lack of rejection from his body. He kissed Aiko’s forehead. “Thank you, my Child of Love, for bringing sweetness back into my life.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Asgard**

  
After breakfast was completed and Loki had consumed another mug of ‘hot’ chocolate, the family migrated towards the tree. Aiko, ever the child, sat on the floor, pulling Loki down with her and nestled into his cool side. Thor and Jane sat on the chaise, still wrapped in each others loving arms while Frigga took the armchair next to the tree where she could see all of her family. She tried to imagine that her husband, whom she loved more deeply than anything in the Nine, was there with them like he had been on Jane’s first Christmas. Of course, much had changed since then. Loki had returned to her, a bit blue and with a few new body parts, but still her baby. She had also gained a beautiful and intelligent granddaughter, one whom she had watched grow from a precocious child to a remarkable, strong woman. It was more than she had hoped for and she treasured every second of it.  
___________________________________

  
The gifts were distributed by Frigga, as the matriarch of the family and the person sitting closest to the tree. Jane had gotten everyone, including her husband, books. Loki was particularly pleased with his, an original manuscript copy of _The History of Jotunnheim_ , a rare find for anyone outside of that world. He looked forward to reading more, admittedly fascinated by the people - his people, and their traditions and stories. Aiko had received a book about the history of Asgard as well as a volume of Norse mythology, so she, as Jane put it, would ‘know all the dirty family secrets.’

  
“Or all of Thor’s drunken lies,” Loki snorted in her ear.

  
“I think not, Brother. It is not I who holds the title of God of Lies,” Thor waggled his finger teasingly at the Jotunn. “Though I must say that a showing-off Fandral certainly gives you a run for your money!”

  
The family laughed again, filling the room with the sounds of mirth and an overabundance of joy.

  
Thor’a gifts were surprisingly thoughtful. _Maybe I am not the only one who has matured in my absence_ , Loki thought, stroking the new set of throwing knives in his lap. They were stunning, each one the exact duplicate of the last, each laced with runes of swift and accurate flight as well as a retrieving spell. Thor had given Jane a new winter cloak made with the pelt of a Garmr Wolf that he had slain with his bare hands. Frigga received a new diadem, lighter and more beautiful than the heavy piece that she wore regularly. Aiko was given a fresh set of brushes and paints of every shade imaginable as well as a new sketchpad and mechanical pencils from Midgard.

  
Frigga’s gifts were equally well thought out. She had gifted Aiko a new ball gown, a striking red strapless affair with a wrapped bodice that ended with a tulle skirt that was shorter in the front and train-like down the back. The floor-length front silk skirt was draped in lace with a large flower print. Some of the blooms rose off of the fabric, contrived by tulle to look life-like. The gown was accompanied by a simple gold chain with a tear-drop ruby the size of one of Loki’s eyes and a set of modest ruby studs.

  
Aiko was speechless over the gift, thanking Frigga profusely and repeatedly as she held the dress box to her chest. Frigga beamed, her smile putting the tree to shame.

  
“It is for your first official Gallery opening. As crowned Princess, the official royal portrait artist, and third in-line for the throne of Asgard, we will have to present you properly to the public. I had hoped that you would wear it then.”

  
“Of course, Grandma!” Aiko’s excitement causing her to slip into the familiar terminology for a parent’s parent. The slip made the All-Mother’s smile grow broader.

  
“I like it when you call me that,” she whispered, pulling her grandchild close.

  
Frigga had gifted Thor with a cushion, embroidered with scenes from his time on Midgard as well as his first years as king. “For Your Highness’ comfort,” she winked, causing Thor to promptly rise, place the gift on top of the already present couch cushion and sit on it with a loud sigh. “I feel so much better already,” he said, chuckling. “Thank you, Mother.”

  
Jane’s package was a box filled with books about Yggdrasil, the Nine, the Bifrost, and ‘how it all works.’ Jane quickly began shuffling through the box, shifting the books around in order of what she should read first.

  
For Loki, Frigga had presented him with a thin, round pillow, shaped like a C. “It’s to support your neck,” she said, matter-of-factly. “I cannot tell you how many times I cringe knowing that you cannot sleep on a bed, much less with a pillow due to your, your - “ 

“Horns,” Loki finished for her, running a hand along one of them lightly. “You can say it Mother. They have been there for twenty years and they are not going anywhere any time soon.”

  
“I know, I know, but,” she hesitated. “I know how you feel about your appearance.”

  
He slowly breathed in through his nose before saying, “It’s fine, Mother. It does not bother me as much as it used to.” He smiled, though the rest of his face looked glum, and placed Frigga’s gift around his blue neck, feeling the support that it provided. He leaned his head back into the softness, sighing. “This is wonderful. Thank you so much, Mother.”

  
Aiko insisted on being next, unable to control her excitement as Frigga passed large, flat, rectangular packages to everyone. “Okay, okay!” the woman said, holding her hands out in a ‘calm down’ motion. “I know that you know that they’re paintings. I just wanted to you see them before they were put on display on February first in the Royal Gallery. I figured that their subjects should view the paintings before the grand unveiling.” She nodded her head to Frigga, acknowledging the All-Mother and allowing her to unwrap the package. The older woman slowly tore the paper, only to gasp and bring a hand to her mouth, tears streaming down her cheeks. The All-Mother spun the picture around for the rest of her family to see.

  
The painting was on a muted maroon backdrop and it featured the entire royal family. Odin and Frigga sat regally on chairs in the center of the picture. Odin’s face was stern and commanding, but not unnecessarily hard through his rigid posture suggested otherwise. He wore his usual black robes crossed with gold and brown leather. His eyepatch reflected some distant light like a promise. Frigga was dressed in her traditional slate grey etched with bronze and complete with breast plate. While her clothing conveyed a strong woman, her face was open and loving. Thor stood behind and slightly to the right of Odin’s chair, dressed in full armor, Mjölnir in his belt and a reckless smirk at the corner of his mouth. His large right hand rested on Jane’s shoulder, making the woman seem tinier than usual but not fragile. Her face was determined but not overbearingly so. She was draped in her favorite dark blue gown with fine strands of silver laced through it. Across from Jane, book-ending the other side of the portrait, was the painter herself. She looked happy, her blue eyes sparkled like sapphires and her cheeks blushed pink. She was wearing her violet gown, her hair pulled back into an elaborate version of it’s traditional braid. Her hand was clasped around that of another figure. Behind Frigga, one clawed hand resting on her shoulder and the other in the coffee-colored clasp of his daughter, Loki found himself. Blue, ridged and bare chested but wearing his ceremonial cloak of green about his shoulders. His face was passive, almost contemplative. _I’m probably wondering what I am doing in that picture_ , he thought. It was his eyes that gave him pause. The frightening blood red held no malice or evil within their depths, only hope and love.

  
“You are amazing, Aiko,” he breathed. “It is stunning.” The other three also added their agreement to Loki’s.

  
“You next, Thor and Jane!” Aiko smiled broadly.

  
The paper was torn quickly off of this portrait. The background was a swirling storm grey but it did nothing to deter the figures depicted in it. It was an intimate and loving moment caught between Thor and Jane. Both were wearing casual clothes, Jane was even in a plaid shirt and jeans, her arms wrapped around her husband’s waist. His arms were encompassing her shoulders, drawing her into him. Both parties were staring at each other enraptured and unaware of anyone else around them. The love between the two of them was palpable, leaving the paint behind on the page and filling each of the observers with love and a bit of jealousy.

  
“Wow, Aiko. You’re amazing!” Jane hugged the portrait painter. “It’s the engagement photo - portrait - whatever, that we never had, Honey.” Thor nodded in agreement, looking at Jane with the mirror expression of his counterpart in the painting.

  
As the two of them leaned in for a kiss, Aiko turned to Loki. “It’s your turn, Blue,” she smiled softly. “I hope that you like it. I-I think that it’s my favorite.”

  
“Then I am sure that I will love it, my Child of Love,” he said, slowly removing the paper so as not to tear the delicate canvas with his claws. Below the brightly colored paper was a darkly shaded image of a face on a black background. His face: one half Jotunn, the other Aesir. Each detail was perfect, each line exactly where it carved into his skin was present on the left side of his face while the right bore no trace of lines or blue. His familiar emerald eye stared back at him along with his newer ruby eye, both conveying the same wounded but mischievous expression. His hair was slicked back, the way he wore it as the Aesir prince, though a lone grey horn erupted from his left brow. The painting had captured his cheekbones and high forehead, the Jotunn lines not hiding the bone structure that his pale skin had encased, as he saw in the mirror daily, but instead emphasized it, adding an otherworldly beauty.

  
For once in his long life, he was speechless. He looked at Aiko, so many emotions playing over his face and through his eyes. Warm rivulets covered his cheeks letting the Jotunn know that he was crying. He did not know if they were tears of joy, sorrow, pride, hurt, loss. He just continued to look at his daughter, whose shining eyes and smile fell to the floor.

  
“Do you...like it?” she asked in a small voice, hesitant and waiting for his rejection.

  
“Can we see it?” Thor asked, his eyes flicking back and forth between his emotional brother and his vulnerable niece. Slowly, Loki handed his King the painting and encompassed his daughter with his arms, his forehead resting on her shoulder as he cried, his body shaking with the turmoil of emotion that tore through him.

  
“Blue?” a soft voice whispered, barely audible. A warm set of arms held him, hesitant and unsure. He held her tighter. Another, nearly imperceptible whisper came. “Dad?”

  
“Oh, Aiko,” Frigga’s voice cut through the haze of emotions. “This is...amazing. It captures him so well.” Loki could hear tears in her voice.  
“Thank you, Grandmother,” Aiko replied, relaxing a bit in her arms as she wrapped almost defensively around her father. “I’ve title it: ‘Same/Different.’ I-I think that it’s...oh, I don’t know...”

  
“Perfect.” His gravelly voice was muffled by her shoulder and even rougher from the tears, but it cut through the room all the same. “It’s perfect.”


	19. Chapter 19

**Asgard**

  
After everyone, including Thor, had finished crying over Aiko’s stunning gifts, the family resumed their present giving. Loki was the final member to give his gifts and he hoped that his family members liked them. He sat nervously as each individual received their packages, smiling at his cleverness yet still worried about what they might think.

  
Frigga, as matriarch, opened hers first. She was grateful for the fire opal for Odin, stating that she would place it with him after their gift-giving was complete. She marveled over the golden yarn spun from the sheep of Alfheim as well as the new pair of jeweled hair combs. She placed them in her hair, the emeralds, sapphires and diamonds sparkling gaily in the candle light from the tree.

  
Aiko opened hers next, tearing the paper into the tiniest shreds to reveal a new set of pastels, colored pencils, and oil paints. She beamed, knowing that he had chosen oil paint because she loved to depict his skin tone with that medium. Her other box was unceremoniously ripped open to display her old iPod. She looked up at him, her eyebrow cocked. “This died months ago,” she said speculatively.

  
“I know,” he stated, tilting his head. “I think you will find that it will run perfectly well now, no electricity needed.”

  
“You magicked it!” she squealed, throwing herself into his arms. “I’m so excited! Painting is so much more fun with music!” He beamed, knowing that his daughter was not only artistically gifted, but musically talented as well and that the latter had been sorely lacking from her life as of late.

 

Extricating himself from his child’s arms, Loki turned to Thor, saying, “You’re next, Brother.”

  
Thor tore open the wrapping almost as excitedly as Aiko to reveal a rather substantial stack of dirty magazines and a small plastic cup. Thor looked up outraged. “WHAT IS THE MEANING OF _THIS?_ ” he bellowed, his light mood dissipating like a spring frost. He rose from his cushion and began to slowly work his may towards Loki before Jane caught his arm and pulled him back down.

  
Frigga looked equally shocked. “Loki!” she gasped. “Your daughter and his wife are present!”

  
Loki held up his hand defensively. “I swear, you will understand, Brother. I meant no offense!” He quickly looked at Jane, who surprisingly appeared to be the only person on his side. “Jane, if you please.”

  
She quickly unwrapped her package and stared at the pamphlets and pages of information along with a small bottle of pink potion. Her brow furrowed as she read, her eyes scanning the lines rapidly. Loki watched her mouth drop open in a shocked smile. She looked up at Loki before returning to the pages.

  
Curious, Thor leaned over his wife’s shoulder. “What is it, Jane?” he asked, softly.

  
Jane looked up at Loki and then at her husband. She was beaming. “We’re going to have a baby!”

  
“We’re WHAT!?” yelled Thor, an enormous smile lighting up his face.

  
“We’re going to have a baby,” Jane repeated, running her hands over his shoulders. “Loki got us an appointment for in vitro fertilization in a couple weeks.”

  
Thor cocked an eyebrow. “In Vitro fertilization?”

  
“Yes, it’s a medical procedure where some of your sperm is harvested along with some of my eggs and their mated in petri dishes and then placed into a host where they can grow and develop. That’s what the cup and the magazines are for, Sweetie!” She laughed, kissing her husband.

  
“We’re going...to have..a...baby?” Thor wrapped his head around the concept. “But, you can’t carry it, Jane.”

  
He looked questioningly at his brother, who silently gestured to the final gift beneath the tree. Frigga picked it up quickly and handed it off to Thor who tore the pages open to reveal - “This is a book...” he said, not bothering to read the spine. He gave it to Jane, looking dumbfounded.

  
Jane astutely, noticed the bookmarked page and flipped the book open, it’s damaged cover falling open onto her lap. She read aloud:

  
_The Jotunn race is the only race that is classified as intersex. They have one sex with each individual identifying to the gender of their choosing, with many of the population using gender neutral identifying pronouns such as ze and zir. This is possible due to the anatomy of the Jotunn. The Frost Giant is the only being in the Nine Realms to be purposefully born with what can be classified as both sets of fully functional reproductive organs._

  
Jane stopped, looking wide-eyed at Loki, with Thor mirroring her shocked and mortified expression perfectly.

  
“Mother and Aiko already know. They’ve caught me during a heat. I think it’s safe to say that all three of us are scarred for life over those experiences.” The Jotunn chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. “I have researched extensively, trying to find a way to grant you a proper heir, not some blue monster from Jotunnheim with an abject past. You gave me my daughter, something that you did not have to do but has made me immeasurably happy. I hope Aiko can say the same. However, by giving her up, you left yourselves heir-less. I mean to fix that.” He paused, scoping out the couple’s reactions. So far, they seemed a tiny bit lost, but he continued, hoping that they’d follow. “No mortal could carry an Aesir child to full-term due to it’s divinity, but, after much consultation and research, I’ve discovered that a Jotunn can. The final gift of this Christmas is me. I wish to bear you a child, the rightful heir to Asgard, as a sign of my gratitude for everything you have done for me, everything that you will do for me, and out of the deepest love for the two of you who have stood by me since my return and before, in spite of everything. I love you both so much and I - I just want you to have the family that you’ve always dreamed of.”

  
He was quickly yanked off his feet by a fast-moving Thor and was embraced so fiercely by his brother and sister-in-law that he thought his eyes were going to pop out of their sockets. Frigga and Aiko joined in the hug, the family unit, together in love.


	20. Chapter 20

**New York City - Avenger’s Tower**

  
“You took the potion Loki gave you ten days ago exactly?”

  
Jane nodded, too excited to verbally respond. Bruce smiled at her warmly. As much as he had disliked the pale Loki that had attacked New York all those years ago, he had to admit that the blue version was a solid guy. “And how about you, Thor? Are you, uh, worked up enough to, um, you know?”

  
Thor, to his credit kept his face rather blank but shifted his weight uncomfortably. “Alright, buddy. Just make sure it ends up in the cup. Put the lid on it and seal it when you’re done.”

  
With that, Thor left the medical floor to return to his chambers to, ‘you know’ into the little plastic cup. He had to admit, the dirty magazines, each image bewitched to look like Jane, were a huge help.   
____________________________________

  
“Okay, Jane. I need you to lie back and put your feet up into these stirrups.” Jane followed Doctor Banner’s instructions, blushing at the thought of revealing that part of her body to the man that housed the Hulk. She would have rather done this with her regular gynecologist, but, as Loki had pointed out, the doctor did not have to worry about Jane but would be mortified and horrified by his appearance the following day when the embryos would be implanted. Whether Jane was comfortable right now or not was not an issue in comparison to Loki’s appearance and physical endowments and what they might do to someone’s psyche. She hoped that Bruce knew what he was getting into.

  
“Alright, Jane. If you could relax, I’m going to begin the procedure now. Thankfully, due to the potion, you appear to be at peak ovulation and we should be able to retrieve quite a few eggs. The downside is that it may be a bit painful. Just keep breathing, and we’ll get through this together, okay?”

  
Jane nodded, imagining the baby that she’d be holding in less than a year.  
_______________________________

  
Later in the afternoon, Loki drank an awful deep blue potion that stank of overripe berries and began a self-induced heat, promptly setting up camp in his spacious tub as he began to bleed. In the morning, he became feverish and ate the final Macagelan root from Helblindi, relieved that this would be his final heat in his life time. Five heats was five too many.

  
He beamed down to the Avenger’s Tower launch pad a little after noon and was greeted by Thor and a beaming Jane. Trying to ignore the warmth that he felt radiating from his skin and the itchy sensation that spread through his limbs as well as the slight arousal that bloomed in his groin, Loki asked, “Is everything in order?”

  
“Yes,” said Jane. “Thank you again for doing this for us, Loki. We will never be able to repay you for this kindness.”

  
He cupped Jane’s small cheek. “You don’t have to. I am doing this, Jane, because I love you both and want you to have a taste of the happiness that you brought me through your gift of Aiko. Also, to be one hundred percent honest, once I give birth, these awful heats will stop - so I’m being purely selfish right now.” He grinned broadly as Jane punched his arm. “Come, let’s not be late.”

  
He followed the excited couple through the penthouse, taking note of the repairs that had been made and the glass that covered the body-shaped hole in the floor. “I see Stark still has his sense of humor,” he muttered as his body ached in remembrance of that particular battle. He suddenly remembered that he would be seeing that particular enemy in a few minutes. But, like himself, that enemy had been changed, hopefully into a friend.

  
The three gods entered the elevator and punched the floor number for the medical bay. The box seemed to continue to increase the temperature around Loki, making him incredibly uncomfortable. He also did not like the idea of being suspended over nothing in a metal container. It also brought back unpleasant memories from what seemed to be a lifetime ago. He was grateful for the open hallway when the contraption finally stopped.

  
Banner was waiting for them by the elevator, his lab coat over his typical purple shirt and khakis. “How are you today?” he asked, looking at Loki.

  
“In heat,” he responded flatly, “As requested. How about yourself?” Banner chuckled lightly at the other man’s obvious discomfort as he guided the Asgardians down the white hallways.

  
The room he entered had large, floor to ceiling windows that captured the light and skyline of New York. There was a computer, a small refrigerator, a sink, a cabinet stocked with medical supplies, an ultrasound machine, a couple of normal chairs and a strange contraption that kind of looked like a throne with weird metal hooks sticking up out of it.

  
Banner patted the padding on the latter object. “Please strip then climb on up there, Loki. Let’s have a look.” The doctor pulled on a pair of latex gloves while Loki shucked off his loincloth, a bit embarrassed by his anatomy but glad to be rid of the restrictive clothing and climbed on to the chair. He heard a barely audible gasp from Thor as his brother saw his body for the first time. Strangely, the Jotunn was not off-put. _This stupid heat_ , he mentally hissed, feeling his member stir.

  
“Okay, Loki,” Banner turned back to him, holding a thin, cotton sheet, which he promptly threw over his hefted legs and covering his exposed genitalia. He also brought a thin plastic tube and a strange devise that looked like a small metal box. “This is what’s going to happen. You’re going to rest you calves up here and I’m going to place this catheter up your...womanly parts. And I mean all the way up, into the uterus, that you’ve prepared. On the end of the catheter will be four embryos. There is a possibility that all four will take, but that is unlikely. A small puff of air will knock them off and they’ll be inside you. Are you ready?”

  
Loki nodded, raising his legs and worrying his lower lip. “Be careful there, Banner. You’re going to be taking my maidenhead.” That statement caused the doctor to blush as he lubricated the small tubing, inserted the embryos on the tip and slowly pushed it through Loki’s entrance. The Jotunn’s eyes went wide, the sensation was something entirely new and unexpected. He...kind of liked it. Collecting himself through cyclic breathing, he tried to ignore the feeling as the instrument climbed higher into his body than he thought possible. He heard a small, soft whirl of a motor, followed by silence and an equally strange sensation as the tube slid out of his body.

  
He took his gaze off the ceiling, and looked at Banner who was observing the end of the catheter under a microscope. The doctor seemed pleased. “Are we all set, Doctor Banner?” Loki asked, wondering if, in fact, his anatomy was not compatible with the Midgardian medical technology or the Aesir embryos. Jane and Thor seemed to be equally anxious.

  
“Yes,” the man answered. “A cursory check of the catheter has shown me that the embryos are no longer attached. We’ll have to wait about ten days before we will know if any of them took, but let me be the first to congratulate you on your pregnancy.” The doctor smiled.

 


	21. Chapter 21

**Asgard**

  
The following morning, Loki awoke to a broken fever. His temperature still ran a bit high, but he was no longer uncomfortable. He sighed and stretched, removing his new neck pillow from Frigga, thoroughly enjoying the lack of neck ache in the morning. His hands found their way onto his flat abdomen and he resisted the urge to penetrate the region with his seidr. He knew that there were embryos inside of him, he did not need to check. The real test would be in about ten days, when he returned to see Banner. At that time, the tiny life or lives should have latched onto his uterine wall, making them truly viable.

  
The days passed quickly yet seemed to drag by. The wait period was going to slowly kill him and Thor, whom insisted that Loki rest and be comfortable and not work too hard. Loki reminded Thor that he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself and continued to go about his business as usual. He felt the same, maybe even better than he had before the insemination, and he was not going to let the King tell him how to live his life. He also did not want to draw unwanted attention to himself or his current condition until it was absolutely necessary. He was not looking forward to the reactions from the palace staff or the public throughout the Nine. Surprisingly, he found himself turning to Jane, who appeared to be generally happy but not overbearing, a blessing and a calm in this time of change.  
____________________________________

  
The metallic launch pad rushed up to meet their feet as the Bifrost’s rainbow glow faded around them. The cold, February air whipped around them, causing the larger of the two to protectively wrap his bare arms and green cloak around the slim shoulders of the small woman beside him as they began to walk along the precarious tower outcropping.   
Jane smiled up at Loki, noting the nervousness in his steady, ruby eyes. “Are you ready?” she asked, shouting against the winter wind. He responded with a tight smile, one clawed hand reaching out for the glass doors. “As ready as I’ll ever be,” came his reply, softer but seemingly booming in the quiet penthouse.

  
Slipping out from under Loki’s cloak and removing her own fur cape, Jane gave the Jotunn a reassuring smile. “Thank you for doing this.” She grabbed his arm for emphasis, her sincere gaze meeting his anxious one. He didn’t reply, instead he grabbed her hand and they walked towards the elevator and the medical bay.  
_________________________________________

  
Loki had decided that he hated the strange throne contraption with the leg supports. The fake leather was slippery, yet sticky at the same time, the thin tissue paper crinkled with his every movement, making him want to remain as still as possible to avoid unwanted attention. He was suddenly incredibly self-conscious, something that he had not experienced ten days previous. It registered that it was due to the uninhibited drive of the heat that he had not cared about who saw him in his bare glory or even his horrific genitalia. Today was very different.

  
Banner, ever the observant mortal, offered the man one of the few hospital gowns on the entire medical floor and murmured an apology. “I’m going to take some blood samples first, so that I can run the pregnancy tests while I complete the rest of your check-up. Is that alright?” His brown eyes were questioning but reassuring. Loki nodded, one of his hands stroking a horn feverishly, while he offered the other to the doctor.

  
Bruce tied a tourniquet around Loki’s Ring tightly, cutting off the blood flow and making the purple veins in his elbow stand up against his royal blue flesh. The doctor palpitated the vein with his well-practiced fingers and pulled out a syringe and a couple of empty canisters for the liquid, and slowly pushed the needle into the skin. It bent, refusing the enter the impenetrable Jotunn flesh. “Uh,” the doctor said, holding his ruined syringe up to the light.

  
“Do you have another?” Loki asked, eyeing the tool apprehensively.

  
“Yeah, but I don’t think it’ll make a difference,” Banner replied. “I’m not sure what other options I have. I don’t have vibranium or adamantium syringes just lying around. I’ll have to talk to Stark about making one.”

  
Stark’s input was the last thing that Loki wanted. He did not need the ridicule or snarky comments from the Man of Iron. “Get a funnel,” he said, determination in his voice.

  
“What?” The man that housed the Hulk looked at him confused.

  
“A funnel. Get me a funnel and I will get the blood for you,” he insisted. The mortal hurried from the room muttering, “A funnel? Why a _funnel_?” Loki snickered.

  
“Why do you need a funnel, Loki?” Jane asked from her chair by his side. “That’s going to be really dull and won’t do anything against your skin.”

  
“No,” said Loki, “But my teeth will.” He flashed his fangs in a broad smile, proud of himself for thinking of a solution to their problem. He was growing antsy, whether it was due to his nervousness regarding his potentially pregnant state or due to the fact that he was sitting, in a barely modest hospital gown, in a tower filled with people who, while currently unaware of his presence, hated him all the same.

  
The sound of pounding footsteps reached his ears and second later, Bruce rounded the corner and closed the door firmly behind him. “Apparently, Pepper is cooking and will need this back, so...” He sheepishly handed the funnel to the god who took it saying, “Trust me, Doctor Banner, she won’t want this back.”

  
He picked upon of the vials and fitted the end of the funnel into it. “Could you hold this for me please?” he asked, his eyes connecting with the man’s wide brown gaze. The doctor grabbed it and, before he could ask any more questions, watched the Jotunn savage his wrist.

  
“GOD! What did you do that for?!” he shouted.

  
Loki simply grabbed the man’s hands with his unharmed hand and positioned the funnel held within the mortal’s grasp under his bleeding wrist. “How many of these do you need?” he asked calmly, watching the vial rapidly fill with the midnight blue liquid.

  
“Four,” Banner responded in a hushed voice, quickly switching out the first vial for the second. Loki nodded, controlling the flow of blood with his healing seidr. Once the vials were completely filled and Banner was scarred for life, Loki ran his unharmed hand over the gaping wound and stopped the bleeding, knitting the flaps and punctures in the skin back together without a trace or hint of a scar.

  
“Astounding,” whispered Banner. He coughed. “Um, I’m going to go run those tests. I’ll be right back.”

  
Loki snickered uncontrollably at the doctor’s retreating back. Jane joined him, her high tinkly laugh contrasting his deep, throaty ‘eheheheheh.’ The Jotunn was glad that Jane had insisted on coming with him. She was putting him more at ease than he certainly would have been if he had come alone.

  
The man quickly returned, pulling at his lab coat. “Okay, so those are set. They’ll be done in about a half hour. So, um, Loki, I’m going to just run a brief physical examination. Could you stand on the scale in the corner please?”

  
The Jotunn hopped off the pink leathery throne, paper crinkling and clicked over to the scale, stepping onto the rough surface. “Stand up straight, please,” Banner commanded, pulling a stool along the floor next to the scale. Loki gave a small half smile.

  
“Sorry, Frost Giant,” he chuckled as Bruce stood on the stool and raised the measuring stick.

  
“I’m going to take two measurements: one to the top of your head, the other at the highest point in your, um, horns,” the doctor said, scribbling notes on his clipboard. Suddenly, the man chuckled, “I can’t believe that I’m saying stuff like that. _Horns_ , for Christ’s sake. It’s unbelievable.”

  
“I apologize for my peculiar manifestation, Doctor Banner. It’s unfortunately no longer something I can control,” the Jotunn said lightly, trying to cover his underlying insecurities about his appearance.

  
“Don’t apologize, Loki. We all have things that we can’t control,” the doctor said quietly. “You have nothing to be ashamed of.” Loki smiled shyly. He knew that he liked Banner for some reason, as long as his larger alter-ego did not make an appearance. “Ok, so you’re 6’2” at the crown of your head, 6’9” at the crest of your horns.”

  
The man clambered off the stool and moved it to the side. “Let’s check your weight.” He slid the little metal pieces back and forth along the top of the scale. “184 pounds. Thin, but not unhealthily so.”

  
“It comes from a very strict diet,” Loki explained. “My anatomy prevents me from eating a lot of things. Do you think it could harm the baby?” He hadn’t even thought about that. His diet of starchy root vegetables and raw meats would certainly not be compatible with the nutrients that the Aesir child would need.

  
“We’ll figure it out as we go along,” Jane said from her seat behind him. “We’ll make it work. And, who knows! Maybe the cravings will allow you to eat things that you’d be unable to under normal circumstances.” He nodded, his mind already on another track of worry.

  
“Okay Loki, please sit back down for me,” Bruce continued, guiding the god to back to the chair he despised. “I need to take your blood pressure and your temperature as well as check you breathing and heart beat. Just lie back and relax, it’ll only take a minute.”

  
A minute turned into twenty as the blood pressure cuff did apparently nothing to staunch his blood flow. Loki ended up grabbing one of his Rings and squeezing until he felt the pulse stutter. He slowly released his grasp, allowing Banner to listen to the flow through his stethoscope.

  
His temperature proved to be another point of contention. His blue skin, used to an inhospitably cold climate, radiated the frigid temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit, freezing. His mouth was a warmer 50 degrees. Loki knew that his insides were much warmer than that, causing Banner set aside his thermometer ‘for now’ and move on to the next.

  
Loki’s breathing was clear and easy to find, his cool breaths playing with the doctor's hair and causing the mortal to shiver. “Sorry,” Loki apologized, trying to breathe elsewhere than onto the shorter man’s head.

  
“Loki,” came Banner’s calm voice. “Stop apologizing for things you cannot control.” He pressed the end of the stethoscope over Loki’s breast bone, listening to the powerful heart pumping beneath. “We’re nearly done, Loki. Thank you for your patience.”

  
“You’re welcome,” the Jotunn replied. “Anything to help you, Doctor Banner.”

  
“That’s very kind of you, though you may want to rescind that offer.” The man’s brown eyes met Loki’s ruby orbs. “Please...put your legs up.” The command was practically whispered.

  
Loki hesitated. _Must I? Is this necessary?_ he thought, not overjoyed with the thought of revealing those...parts again. He took a sharp inhale through his nose and slowly let it out. _Banner has been more than fair and, besides, he’s going to be seeing a lot more in about nine months._ He deliberately raised his legs up into the stirrups, closing his eyes so that the two other people would not see his humiliation play across his features.

  
“Thank you, Loki. Now, I’m going to need to take your core temperature. Please try to relax, this may feel a bit cool. A set of gloved fingers pried open his anus, causing Loki’s eyes to fly open in shock and a squeal to escape his blue lips. He did not move, though, allowing Banner to slide a slender, metal-tipped thermometer up the orifice. It was extremely uncomfortable, and Loki wanted to writhe on the chair in an attempt to remove the object from his ass but he remained still, listening to his breathing, his claws digging themselves subconsciously into the faux leather of the chair.

  
Bruce spoke again. “While we’re waiting, I’m going to run a cursory check of your...anatomy. Please let me know if you feel uncomfortable or if you feel pain at any time.”

  
Loki nodded and half-joked, saying, “I’m uncomfortable.”

  
“Tough,” came Banner’s chuckled reply as his gloved fingers ran up and down his external genitalia, stimulating the ridges and causing him to shudder uncontrollably, biting his lips against the arousing sensation. The doctor notices, giving him a sympathetic glance. “We’re looking good on the outside, but I do need to examine internally as well, as a forewarning.”

  
The Jotunn visibly gulped. “Okay,” he replied softly. A strange, almost torture-looking devise was pushed past his folds and into his -. “Oh,” he gasped, the devise slowly widening the hole.

  
“How we doing, Loki?” came Banner’s voice from behind the hospital gown. “Hanging in there?” The Jotunn had grasped Jane’s hand in his claws and squeezed gently, again nodding his head.

  
“We’re doing just fine, Doctor,” Jane replied, smiling encouragingly at her brother-in-law. Another gasp and an involuntary leg shake accompanied the insertion of what Loki could only assume to be a gloved finger into the stretched hole. A second hand, warm through the latex, pressed downward on his lower abdomen briefly before both the hand and the finger were gone. The torture devise was removed shortly after, along with the thermometer.

  
“You can bring your legs down now, Loki. Thank you,” Bruce said, making notes on his clipboard. “It appears as if your internal temperature is about 100 degrees, which is a bit high but it will keep the baby safe and warm from your otherwise freezing temperature. Also, your in prime condition down below. Your uterus appears to be rather large, so plenty of room incase more than one embryo took and there are no signs of distress or potential STDs or cancers.”

  
Loki snorted. “I should hope not!” Brice cocked an eyebrow. “Honestly, Doctor Banner, would you want to have sex with this?” He gestured towards his body. The man averted his eyes. “My point exactly.”

  
“Anyway,” the doctor stood up. “The blood tests should be complete. I’ll be right back.” He headed out the door, only to poke his head in a second later. “You can out your clothes back on.” The Jotunn slid off the paper and grabbed his loincloth and trousers from the floor, discarding the gown into the proper receptacle as soon as his legs were encased again. He turned to face Jane who was worrying her lower lip.

  
“Jane, are you alright?” he asked, taking a seat on the chair next to her and wrapping his arm around her small frame.

  
“Yes, I’m just nervous, that’s all.” She smiled up at him. “It’s not even as if I’m the one who might be pregnant, but...” She sighed. “I just want it so badly, Loki. I can’t even put it into words.” She rested her head against his shoulder.

  
“I understand,” he said quietly. “I know how it feels to have something within your grasp and then to lose it suddenly. You never are able to get rid of that feeling of complete want, no matter what you do.” He smiled softly at his sister-in-law. “Know this Jane: If this didn’t work, we will simply try again. You will have your child.”

  
The woman, eyes brimming with tears, smiled back at him. “Thank you.”

  
The sound of footsteps hurrying down the hall towards their room caused both of their heads to snap towards the door. Loki wrapped his arms tighter around Jane, who returned the gesture. The door slowly opened to reveal Bruce, clipboard in hand.

  
“So, it appears as if your glucose, platelet, blood count, and iron levels are where they need to be and you do not have any STDs or diseases that we can test for.” He looked up at the couple, who had clasped their hands in front of them, eyes eager and expectant smiles plastered on their faces. “It also appears that you’re officially pregnant with the royal heir. Congratulations!” 


	22. Chapter 22

**Asgard**

  
After a bit of screaming (on Jane’s part), shouting (on Loki’s part), and chuckling (on Bruce’s part), along with a rather strange but joyful jumping group hug, Loki and Jane snuck out of the Avengers Tower and returned to Asgard. They could barely contain their glee, as they touched down in the Watch House of Heimdall. The tall, golden god turned to face the Queen and the Chief Advisor. “Congratulations, my Queen, Loki. This is wonderful news.”

  
“Thank you Heimdall,” Jane replied. “I do ask that you not tell anyone, though. We do not want word to get out too soon.”

  
The guardian bowed, “Of course, my Queen. The King, the All-Mother, and the Princess just sat down for dinner. They are expecting you.”

  
“Thank you,” Loki replied as he and Jane headed for the exit onto the Rainbow Bridge.  
_________________________________________

  
“My Lord and Ladies, the Queen Jane Foster and Prince Loki Laufeyson have arrived.” The little page boy announced the two gods as they entered the private dining hall, Jane on Loki’s arm. The table rose to bow to the Queen while the Queen and Advisor bowed to their family at the table in turn.

  
Frigga casually gestured for the two of them to sit in their chairs. Loki to Frigga’s left and Jane to Thor’s right. “How was your trip?” she asked lightly, beating around the bush.

  
Loki, noticing his brother’s impatience over the lack of cutting to the chase, decided to drag out his torture a bit longer. “Apparently, Mother, I have grown since my last physical. I am 6’9” now. Where those extra seven inches came from, I have no idea.” He stroked a horn, smiling sarcastically. “Also, Doctor Banner said that my temperature is a bit high and that I am thin. Perhaps there is something we could do about that? Do we really need the fires everywhere? And can I have the special hot chocolate that Aiko makes me at every meal? That should help me put on a bit of weight, yes?” His smile was growing broader by the second, watching Thor visibly squirm in his seat.

  
“How was your day, Thor?” Loki asked, genuine curiosity hidden behind his playful tone. “Are the trade agreements with Niflheim working themselves out? How did the delegates react to my absence? Oh, they must have been distraught! I will never be allowed to take a day off ever again!” His tone was becoming increasingly sarcastic and melodramatic and Thor’s face was growing redder and redder.

  
“Loki!” the King choked out of his anxiously constricted larynx. “My day was FINE. I think there are more PRESSING MATTERS TO DISCUSS.” Jane gave him a meaningful look.

  
“Oh, yes, of course! How could I forget the opening of the royal gallery! Is everything set for next week, my Child of Love?” He grinned broadly at Aiko, diverting his gaze from the nearly catatonic Thor.

  
“Everything looks great, Blue,” the young woman chuckled, raising an eyebrow to him. “I am very pleased with how everything is looking.” He nodded, glad that his daughter was pleased.

  
“ _ANYTHING ELSE, LOKI_?” Thor’s voice was really tight and strained. His face was turning purple.

  
Not wanting his brother to die of a heart attack, Loki smiled mischievously. “Oh, there’s nothing really new to report except that I’m pregnant.” One of his hands fell reflexively towards his flat abdomen, right where the doctor had been pushing earlier. Aiko shrieked, throwing her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. Thor had Jane clutched to his chest as if she would vanish, tears streaming down his face. Frigga smiled, knowingly, observing the reactions of her two children and the women in their lives, overjoyed to have her family around her.   
____________________________________

  
Thor was really becoming ridiculous. A week had passed since his announcement, so about three weeks since the implantation. He felt fine! Thor needed to lay off and stop bugging him constantly. “Loki, you should sit - would you like a chair?” “Loki, could we hold this meeting at your rooms? That way you won’t have to go anywhere?” “Brother, shouldn’t you be eating more?”

  
He had had enough and a month hadn’t even passed yet. His condition had changed nothing about his life style, except that he was taking an enormous pill from Banner twice a day. The doctor said that they were prenatal vitamins and they helped make sure that the baby (or babies) was getting enough nutrients. This wasn’t a particular problem, as the royal family had been more prone to eating in Frigga’s personal dining room than in the grand public hall since Odin fell into the Odin-Sleep, and no one who didn’t already know his secret would not begin to speculate as to why he was swallowing pills that were the size of small dogs at breakfast and dinner.  
________________________________________

  
Aiko smoothed the lace and tulle on the front of her red gown. She looked stunning, she felt like a princess, and yet, she was incredibly nervous. In a few minutes, the doors to the royal gallery would be reopened to the public with her new portraits hung for the general populace of the Nine Realms to see. She loved the support that her family gave her, particularly Blue, who had been way too encouraging for someone who could barely look at his reflection for more than thirty seconds, much less have his features on display forever in public. But that was what made Blue Blue and she loved him for it. Yesterday, he had brought her into his bed chamber and he had told her all of the stories of all of her creations that she had given him. He had kept every last one, requesting that they were brought from his cell to his Asgardian chambers at the end of his sentence. One of his favorites was the drawing of Sleipnir from when she was ten, his head held proudly while his eight hooves flew over the ground. He had also loved the turkey made with her hand print and leaves from when she was in kindergarten. Many of the leaves had crumbled to nothing, but he still cherished it because it was her first gift that she ever given to him.

  
The large portrait of the two of them sat above his mantle, mirroring her portrait of him in her chambers, her note written on the other side of the canvas. Directly below it, framed on the mantle, was the charcoal sketch of the tiny starling. Sitting her down and taking her hands in his rough and cool palms, her father told her about Little One and how the seemingly insignificant creature had begun his long road to recovery. In turn, she told him the story Frigga had told her: how she had rescued the bird’s body and transported it’s soul into another being - her.   
His eyes opened wide, the ruby taking on an almost innocent, child-like quality as he stroked her cheek. “Frigga has always worked in mysterious ways, my Child of Love. She did not want me to be alone and so she sent me you - twice. And I am doubly blessed for it.” He pulled her into his strong arms and kissed her forehead gently. “I love you so much, Aiko. So very much, indeed.” He kissed her forehead again before pulling back.

  
Aiko smiled at the memory that ran through her mind. Yes, her father was so proud of her and he loved her, just as he had always loved her and would always love her. Slowly, she nodded towards the doorman. “Open the entryway, please.”


	23. Chapter 23

**Asgard**

  
The gallery quickly flooded with people from all over the Nine. Representatives from every realm, except Jotunnheim, were present. Loki knew that his brother Helblindi would have wanted to be there, but the realm was engulfed in the thick of winter until April and the Bifrost would not be able to access it until that time. He certainly did miss the Jotunn King, though, and his carefree attitude when it came to being among the inhabitants of the other Eight. He wished that he had the confidence to attempt to mingle, but instead he stood near the back of the room, observing the reactions to his daughter’s brilliant works while trying to blend into the wall behind him.

  
The portrait of Jane and Thor seemed to be a favorite, a glimpse into the perfect relationship and the love story of the King and Queen that was rarely on display outside of Bilskirnir. The jealousy that oozed off of every noblewoman present made Loki smirk. His brother had always been a catch, and tales of his conquests were many in his youth, but, after his exile, he had only had eyes for the small mortal astrophysicist. His engagement to a woman who seemed so unlike him, so unlike the standards set for the Aesir Queen, must have caused quite a stir and it was obvious that those feelings were not mended, even after twenty years. The talk had now begun to circulate about the lack of an heir - “ _Because that criminal Jotunn beast certainly will never sit on the throne of Asgard while I still breathe”_ \- was giving the women throughout the Nine renewed hopes to infiltrate the King’s bed. The Chief Advisor was certain that he would never see _that_ happen as long as he drew breath.

  
Loki resisted the urge to stroke his stomach, instead drawing his cloak more tightly around himself, as if it would help him disappear. His gaze flicked to Aiko, looking breathtakingly beautiful in her ruby gown and gems from Frigga. He would have to thank his mother for finding her clothes that just captured her so perfectly. His little Princess who looked and acted more the part every day. She stood in the midst of a group of nobles from Vanaheim, her hands waved energetically as she discussed her paintings and their subjects, her artistic choices, and her techniques. His smirk turned into a genuine smile as he watched her, passion radiating from her as she talked about her favorite portrait: the one that bore both of his faces.

  
“But,” questioned the high tenor of a minor nobleman, “Why did you choose to include him at all? He is a traitor and a murderer. He is no longer Odinson. He does not belong here or anywhere but in Hel, much less as the _heir_ and advisor to the King. He should be in a torture cell in the deepest darkest pit they can conjure.”

  
Loki knew exactly which _he_ they were discussing, his heart sank down to his toes. As hard as he worked and tried to atone for his lost years, he would never achieve the full forgiveness or acceptance for his crimes and it cut him to his core to hear it come so blatantly from someone’s lips.

  
“Why would you say such a thing?” Aiko said, a hard edge to her voice as her eyes fixed on the offending nobleman.

  
“Because,” the man chuckled nonchalantly, “It is the truth and I would say it again to his ugly face.”

  
The slap rang out sharply through the gallery, cutting off all other sound. All eyes turned to focus on the Princess, her right hand red with the vicious reminder of her attack, and the Vanir holding the side of his face, tears in his eyes. _“Don’t you **dare** say anything like that about **my** **father** , again,_” she hissed menacingly, venom dripping from every word. “ _He has been through more than you can even imagine and, in spite of **your** best efforts to paint him as a monster, **you** are overlooking the beast that resides **within yourself**_.” With that, Aiko spun on her heel, her braid spinning in a wide arch, and parted the crowd to reach him in his solitary corner.

  
“Blue,” she said softly, as she reached his side. “My hand hurts for some reason, would you mind holding it?” She smiled at him innocently, holding out her angry, red right hand for his cool, blue left hand. The murmuring of the crowd started again, though Loki was sure that they were not discussing the art as much as the Princess.

  
“Of course, my darling,” he whispered, kissing her forehead and taking her hand. “Shall we walk about the gallery? I hear that some of the paintings are causing quite a stir.”

  
“Only because, like any great artist, I have captured some very controversial images,” she replied, still smiling at him. “But I must do something first.”

  
She reached into her scarlet clutch and pulled out Frigga’s bracelet. Looking up at his surprised expression, he watched as her coffee-colored skin became blue and ridged and her blue eyes swirled into the brightest rubies. “I feel much better now, don’t you?” she asked cheerfully over the gasps from the people who surrounded them.

  
“I am happy as long as you are happy, my Child of Love,” he replied smiling. “Though do be sure to remove it if you become too warm. There is no sense in you becoming overheated just to prove a point.”

  
His daughter, ever the teenager, rolled her blood red eyes in response and tugged him towards the nearest painting.   
_________________________________________

  
Later in the evening, the crowd had begun to thin and Aiko, still blue, had left her father’s side to thank her patrons for coming to the event, leaving Loki alone in front of ‘Same/Different.’

  
“You know,” came a quiet voice from behind him, “This may be my favorite painting.”

  
The Jotunn turned to face Bruce Banner as the doctor continued, “The dual nature all contained inside a single vessel. The same emotions, the same heart, the same soul, the same mind but driven along different paths. I think it’s something that we both understand.” The smaller man smiled up at him. “Your daughter does beautiful work.”

  
Loki smiled, “Yes, she does.” He looked back at the portrait before turning to the Avenger. “How are you this evening Doctor Banner? Have you enjoyed yourself?”

  
“I am doing well, thank you, and I have had a wonderful time. I am pleased to have merited an invitation to such a prestigious event.”

  
“Aiko would not have had it any other way,” replied the Jotunn, still smiling kindly. “After all that you have done for me, and are continuing to do for me...” His hand strayed to his flat abdomen for the first time that evening. “It means so much. Not just to me but to my whole family. You are bringing us such a gift, Doctor Banner, it will not be forgotten.”

  
The man blushed slightly, averting his gaze. “I am not giving the gift, Loki. _You_ are. I am just making sure that nothing goes wrong along the way. And please call me Bruce. We’re going to be seeing quite a bit of each other, there is no need to stand on formalities.”

  
“Alright....Bruce. We are still set for next week?”

  
“Yes. I have you down for Wednesday at 8am while Tony is in a meeting with Pepper and Rhodey, Steve will have just started his morning gym routine. Nat and Clint are away on a mission, and Thor can come, as he requested.” The Avenger smiled. “I don’t think I can schedule anything more perfectly!” He began to chuckle, his shoulder shaking.

  
Loki joined him, saying, “Eheheheheh. No, I don’t think you can!”


	24. Chapter 24

**Frigga’s Dining Room - Asgard**

  
Another week had passed containing an irksome Thor, an elated Jane, and a pleasant check-up with Bruce. Loki was exhausted. He had been up half the night peeing, his peculiar sleeping position placing an almost constant gravitational pull on his bladder and making him irritable. He had arrived at breakfast in a state of partial dress, a robe pulled around his shoulders and tied around his waist over his sleeping trunks. His hair was wild and loose, wrapped around his horns and knotted as it tumbled down his back. His lined cheek rested in one of his clawed hands, his elbow propped up on the table.

  
Every sound in the room split his skull like an ax as he reached for his goblet of water and the large, burnt red pill that sat beside it. Before he could take the supplement, however, he was stopped by Thor’s ever-loud voice and a hard slap on his back. “Happiest of Name Day’s, Brother!”

  
Loki shot him a moody look, totally forgetting that it was, in fact, the day of his birth, and muttered a hoarse, “Thank you.”

  
Thor continued, saying, “In honor of your Name Day, I have refused to hold court or enter into a single council meeting. You and I, Brother, are going to take the day off.”

  
Loki smiled and slowly made to get out of his chair. “Then I am going back to bed.”

  
“No!” boomed Thor, pushing Loki back down into his seat. “You must eat first and then we are going to go to the library, and then we shall go riding and do the things that we did as children.”

  
“Thor...” the Jotunn began, weakly raising his free hand to his sibling’s arm. “I am tired. I was up half the night...”

  
“With excitement, I am sure,” Thor chimed in, taking the seat next to Loki and clapping his hands for the food to be brought. The abrupt sound went off like a gunshot in the other man’s head, causing him to moan. Jane, Aiko, and Frigga each arrived, looking cheerful and refreshed from their evening’s sleep, making Loki even more irritable.

  
“Oh, my child,” Frigga said concerned, “You look terrible. Are you alright?”

  
“Fine,” the blue god muttered. “I did not sleep well. That is all.” He caught a concerned look pass between Frigga and Jane.

  
“Then we shall put off the feast this evening so you can rest. We’ll hold it tomorrow instead,” the All-Mother said brightly. “We would not want our guest of honor to be feeling poorly or tired while we have a good time. Maybe you should see a healer?”

  
“And let the entire realm know of my condition? I think not, Mother.” He paused. “Why were you throwing a feast for me? You know that no one except the four of you would come.”

  
Aiko smiled at him, “Actually, there are a few other people who would be in attendance. It’d be a small affair, but I made sure that it had all of you favorite foods and even that troupe of players that you enjoy from Vanaheim! I think you’d have a great time, Blue.”

  
He gave his daughter a tired smile. “If I am allowed to catch up on my sleep today...” He shot a meaningful look at Thor. “Then I should be able to attend this evening. Does that sound alright with everyone?”

  
The present assembly looked at each other before shrugging and nodding. “That should be fine, Brother,” Thor responded in a much softer voice than the one he had been using previously. “But first you must eat to keep your strength. I took the liberty of ordering your favorite breakfast for you.” The smell of greasy ham and bacon filled the air, along with that of fresh-baked rolls, sharp cheese, and the ever-present iron-y tang of raw meat. Loki’s mouth watered at the thought, knowing that Thor must have requested a slab of venison for him, stag and hart being among his favorites.

  
The plate that was set before him still looked rather unappetizing to his Aesir eyes, but his Jotunn stomach rumbled. He inhaled the aroma of bloody flesh and pungent cheese, letting it fill his senses. His stomach clenched and he rapidly pushed back his chair, toppling the wooden frame in his haste, and ran to a decorative urn by the door. He retched into it, spewing bile into the bronze object, along with what little water he had drunk that morning.

  
Breathing slowly through his mouth, the bout of nausea passing, Loki sat back on his heels and said sadly, “Take it away. I would like some thin broth and an unbuttered roll instead.” Reaching for his seidr, the Jotunn cleared to urn of his upset bodily fluids and slowly returned to his seat sarcastically muttering, “Happy Name Day to me!”

  
Aiko left her seat opposite him and came to his side, rubbing his back through the robe, the fabric stimulating his Wings and Mantle and soothing his raging headache. “Can I do anything to help, Blue? Are you feeling ill?” she whispered softly.

  
“What you are doing now is wonderful, my Child of Love. Please do not stop,” he whispered as he reached for the large pill and his water. After downing the prenatal vitamin, and feeling no urge to expel it from his body, Loki turned his gaze to look at his daughter. “I am feeling much better already. Thank you.”

  
Her concerned face, met his exhausted smile. “Is it a stomach bug?” she asked, worried. “We can postpone the feast...”

  
“Oh no, darling, not after all the hard work you put into it. I’ll be fine. I just need rest and a light meal.” He chuckled, already beginning to feel better as Aiko’s small hands rubbed his shoulders. “As for the stomach bug, I discovered last night, during one of my frequent trips to the restroom, that it is not one ‘bug’ that I need to worry about, but two.” His warm gaze fell on Jane’s concerned face and Frigga’s knowing smile. “My seidr detected an anomaly in my system much earlier than any ultrasound that Banner could run. Your Majesties, Jane and Thor, are expecting twins.”

  
Jane gasped, her hands flying to her broadly smiling mouth and her eyes sparking with delight. Thor looked at his brother, a strange expression on his face, a mixture of complete joy, utter shock and even a hint of fright. Frigga beamed, “Congratulations! This is so exciting!” Aiko’s hand stopped rubbing, causing a small whimper to escape Loki’s lips.

  
At that moment, the pregnant man’s new breakfast arrived and he carefully tore the roll, putting a small piece into his mouth and swallowing. He could almost hear the collective sigh of relief as he took another bite before moving on to the broth.

  
He looked up, self-conscious under the gaze of his family. “What?” he asked, looking worried. “I should be fine. I’ve read all the books and know that this will settle in my stomach. It looks like I’m back on prison rations for a few more weeks.” He elbowed his brother, chuckling to lighten to mood, “Thanks, _Thor_.”  
________________________________________

  
“I don’t see the need to have me blindfolded right now, I can tell where we are!” Loki complained as Aiko and Frigga pulled him along the corridors of Bilskirnir, Thor’s beefy hands on his shoulders and Jane giggling behind.

  
The family had finished their breakfast in a joyful mood, the thought of two little ones joining them made the family feel even more excited. The Jotunn was just happy that he no longer felt sick, but he still felt tired and insisted on going back to sleep so that he could be at his best tonight for the feast his daughter had planned.

  
After the dishes had been cleared, Frigga had taken Loki’s clawed hands in her own and smiled. “We have a gift for you,” she said, “But you must wear this before you may see it.” Jane produced a silk scarf and Thor tied it around his head, avoiding his horns and trying not to pull on his tangled hair.

  
“What - Why?” Loki asked, spinning his head around as he tried to rid himself of the fabric over his eye.

  
“So then it’s a surprise, silly!” chimed in his daughter’s pure and ringing voice. He felt Frigga let go of one of his hands only to have a smaller hand fill it - Aiko.

  
Now they stood outside of his rooms, the smell of books and the faint hint of frost played at his nostrils as the large doors were opened. He was guided over the carpets and around the books and chairs that littered the floor. A cool breeze hit his skin as the family rounded the corner into his bed chamber. He had left the balcony door cracked open in an attempt to help him sleep the previous night and had forgotten to close them in his exhausted state. He stopped as the two hands stopped pulling him. He heard a click as the breeze ended and Thor slowly released his eyes from the blindfold. In front of him, instead of the large bed frame with the tangle of sheets and pillows on the floor by far side where he had slept for the last eight months, was a large, round nest bed. It looked just like the bed that Helblindi had provided him in Jotunnheim, it’s sides sloping slowly up from the floor, creating a lip and dipping down into the middle. It was heaped high with pillows, including the neck pillow from Frigga, and blankets and furs. A rather large maroon pillow ran diagonally across the entire expanse.

  
Loki felt tears beginning to prick at his eyes as he twisted up his face and bit his lips against the rush of emotion. His family was too good to him, too generous, too...loving. He felt their loving and expectant gazes on him and the waterworks began. He opened his blue, ridged arms and embraced them, kissing the tops of the woman’s heads and Thor’s scratchy cheek, too overwhelmed to use his silver tongue to convey his gratitude.   
______________________________________

  
**Palace Kitchens - Asgard**

  
Two redheaded maids stood outside, tossing the uneaten food that the Jotunn had rejected to the hounds.

  
“All I’m saying is that the All-Mother suggested a healer an’ he refused because he didn’ wan’ people knowing about ‘is c _ondition_ an’ after that, _he_ got sick in one of Her Majesty’s urns.’” The maid glanced at her shorter companion.

  
“Do you think _he’s_ ill? Dyin’ maybe? It’d be nice to get His Majesty out from under _his_ thumb,” the smaller woman asked, picking up the plates and beginning to walk back towards the kitchens.

  
“I dunno, but, whatever it is, I’m gunna figure it out an’ tell _everyon_ e. He’ll be **ruined**.”


	25. Chapter 25

**Loki’s Chambers - Asgard**

  
After his tears had subsided, most of his family left his rooms to allow him to sleep. Aiko remained behind, smiling happily at her father from the doorway. “Is is alright if I stay, Blue?” she asked. “I want to help you feel better.”

  
He tilted his head at the young woman, his ruby eyes meeting her sky blue orbs and smiled. “I’m not sure what you’re hoping to accomplish, but you are welcome to stay.” He headed for the bathroom, not surprised that he had to pee - again. He caught a glimpse of his disheveled state in the mirror and gasped. “I have _never_ looked this awful in my life! No wonder you all thought I was sick!” He heard a lilting giggle from the next room as he finished his business and exited the bathroom, brush in hand.

  
Aiko met him by the door, hand out, and said, “Give me the brush.” He looked at her hand, then up at her face which held her best strict parent impression, and then relinquished the object into her outstretched palm. “Now go lay down, on your side if possible.”

  
Again, he obeyed, climbing over the edge of the bed, enjoying the rub of the soft furs and sheets over the firm bowl-shaped mattress as he progressed towards the long, burgundy pillow. He lay against it, wrapping the pillow securely in his arms and marveling at the lack of horn-induced pressure he experienced. He had not been able to sleep in his side in nearly a quarter of a century and here he was, about to fall asleep in comfort.

  
He felt the mattress shift as Aiko clambered into the bed beside him, pulling his robe off his shoulders and pulling a wool blanket up to his chin. She kissed his forehead gently and whispered, “Sleep well, Dad.” Loki smiled, his eyelids heavy.  
___________________________________________

  
Aiko was not surprised that Blue had fallen asleep almost as soon as his head had hit the proverbial pillow. She smiled with an almost maternal air, her father’s sleeping form was so innocent, child-like under the wool blanket. All of the small lines of worry and hurt that marred his skin around his eyes and mouth were eliminated, making him all the more handsome in her eyes. She slowly and carefully began to disentangle the Jotunn’s thick black mane of hair from around his smooth, lacquered horns, reveling in the surface that she had never touched before. The horns were solid, yet they did not seem heavy to her touch. They were very securely part of her father’s skull, any slight shift of the horns, turned his head as well. Their hard surface was spiraled, like that of a unicorn horn, with the spiral growing closer together as the horns curved backwards to their dull points.

  
She freed his hair and began to run the brush through the snarls, surprised at the amount of tangles she found. As she worked, Loki seemed to sink into a deeper sleep, his cool breath coming out in a soft snore as his mouth fell open. Once his hair was silky and smooth to her touch, she forwent his typically tight braided faux-hawk. Instead, she collected his hair at the nape of his neck in a loose braid, marveling at how quickly his hair grew. The braid reached his natural waist, lying behind him just below his ribcage.

  
She then began to gently rub his back, trying to work with his Jotunn ridges. She could feel the tense muscles underneath his royal blue skin begin to give way to her tender touch. The snoring shifted to a sound she had never heard him make before. It resonated deep in his chest cavity, messaging her hands as she worked, and escaped with no centered tone or pitch but relaying utter contentment. Blue was purring.

  
Aiko smiled, listening to her father rumble with a relaxed happiness that she did not know he possessed. The amount of pressure that he was under was unfathomable: being the Chief Advisor to the King, being the Ambassador to Jotunnheim, and now carrying not one but two royal heirs. He probably had more responsibility towards the realm than Thor at the moment, though he would never admit it.

  
She thought about his internal battle between his self-loathing and his self-worth, each day faced with a fate that he would never have chosen for himself in a body that he could only tolerate. It pained her to see him in turmoil, though he hid it so well. Everything was concealed behind a calculated public image, a man who was unshakable. He took every slight so personally, his pride being one of his personality flaws, and yet, he never let it show and never fought his own battles against the populace, taking their abuse in silence. The public would never truly know her father or the incredibly strong person that he was, not only because _they_ wouldn’t see it, but because _he_ would never show them his vulnerability, his weakness. His walls only fell around her, as hers fell around him, and even then, his slips were few.

  
The purring eventually stuttered to a stop and Aiko lay beside her father, enjoying his company as she too drifted off to sleep.


	26. Chapter 26

**Loki’s Chambers - Asgard**

  
Loki woke as the sun hung low in the sky, casting orange and red light into his rooms. He yawned and stretched, never having felt so relaxed in his life. He rolled over, not entirely surprised to find Aiko laying next to him, curled around herself in slumber. He sat up and ran his claws gently over her head, along her scalp and through her loose, wavy hair. She murmured softly but did not wake. Sighing, the Jotunn kissed her forehead and retreated to the bathroom, not surprised in the least that he had to utilize the facilities. Knowing that he would be attending a feast in a couple of hours, he opted for a bath as well, in hopes of continuing the relaxed feeling that permeated his body.   
__________________________________________

  
“Aiko,” Loki whispered, his hand resting on his daughter’s cheek while his thumb ran over the smooth surface. “Aiko, darling. It is time to get up.”

  
Her eyes flickered open, falling on the face and shoulders of her father, his regular faux-hawk braid between his horns and his cape about his Mantle. His ruby eyes sparkled as he continued to stroke her cheek with his cool phalange. She hummed in response, leaning into his touch.

  
“Do I have to, Blue?” she asked. “This may be the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in. I’m not sure I’m willing to give it up.” He smiled one-sidedly at her.

  
“Well, I guess I’d be willing to share - if it makes you happy,” he murmured, gazing into her bright blue eyes. “But, I believe that there is a party tonight that would be awful dreary if the hostess was not present.” He smiled teasingly, his fangs out.

  
“Well, how can I resist such buttering up, and with my favorite smile too,” she replied sarcastically, kissing the tip of his nose. “I guess I’d better get dressed.” She climbed out of the bed and headed for the door. “I’ll see you down there!” she called as she exited his chambers.

  
_How ever did I get so lucky?_ the Jotunn wondered. _I have lied, cheated, stolen, killed and yet here I am with an amazing daughter who loves me irrevocably, a mother who is so supportive and kind, a sister-in-law who is rather delightful once you cut through all the ‘science,’ and a brother who trusts me not only with his life and the realm but with the lives of his children._

  
Loki sighed, rubbing his stomach and allowing his seidr to pulse inwards. Slowly, but surely, he received a small blip of blue seidr and a faint dab of gold seidr sent back to him. Such strong young ones, at only five weeks! They would be forces of nature once they were born. Loki smiled at his hands as they rested over his navel, happy that they would be someone else’s problem once his job as vessel was complete and they could really cause trouble.  
______________________________________

  
**Grand Hall - Asgard**

  
Applause and cheering erupted from the intimate gathering when Loki entered the gilded chamber. He smiled, surprised at the faces he saw smiling back at him. Frigga sat at the foot of the table, the head was left empty in honor of the sleeping All-Father in case he happened to wake up. Loki doubted it, there had been no noticeable change since Frigga added Loki’s fire opal over a month and a half ago when his core temperature returned to normal. To the right of the empty chair sat Thor, Jane was seated to his right. The chair to the left of the head was empty, left for Loki, a high honor that he knew would not have been rewarded to him if the All-Father had been present. Aiko was to his right. Beside Jane sat a rather sheepish looking Bruce Banner, the only mortal in the company of gods. He was next to Fandral who had already begun to make eyes at Aiko, much to Loki’s displeasure. Hogun rounded out that side of the table, his face stoic and unspeaking. Next to Aiko was Lady Sif who seemed surprisingly pleased to be there. Beside her was Volstagg who had begun his drinking early. The final chair was occupied by Asha, the Vanir healer who had helped Loki save Aiko the day he had woken up. He made a mental note to let the woman in on his secret. If something happened and he could not get to Bruce on Midgard, he needed to have someone he could turn to in confidence if he should, Norns forbid, need medical assistance.

  
“Thank you for coming, my friends,” he said, opening his arms and smiling broadly, his pointed teeth catching the light of the candles. “This is such a wonderful surprise. It has been so long since I have celebrated a Name Day and I can think of no better company.” The assembly politely clapped, though Fandral whistled, and Loki took his seat.

  
The food was quickly served with the small gathering feasting on some of Loki’s old favorites that he, unfortunately, could no longer eat. Aiko squeezed his hand sympathetically as his bowl of broth and roll were laid before him.

  
“Loki!” Fandral called, “It is your Name Day! Why do you not eat something less...bleak?” The blonde man’s face had a smile upon it, but the Jotunn could tell that the man he had once called his friend was genuinely concerned.

  
“Oh, it is nothing, Fandral. I ate something this morning that did not quite agree with my stomach, an unfortunately common occurrence these days - Aesir food being so rich, and I did not want to risk it tonight amid such esteemed company.” The lies fell easily from his tongue, for which Loki was grateful. He felt as if he could trust the people seated at the table with the truth, but he was unwilling to share it. He had just begin to rebuild bridges with many of them and did not want his mutilated sexuality to burn what little progress had been made.

  
Bruce, hearing the conversation, swiveled his head to look at his patient, a look of concern flicking across his features before his face became blank. The Jotunn could sense the unasked question and he inclined his head in the positive. The symptoms of pregnancy had started and his doctor needed to know. Banner did not respond, but Loki knew that he had received his message and returned his attention to his tepid broth.  
________________________________________

  
After dinner, but before dessert, the promised players from Vanaheim presented a comedy of errors, much to Loki’s delight. He had always found players fascinating people who traveled the Nine and brought fantastical stories to life in imaginative ways. When the story drew to it’s inevitably happy ending, Loki was sad to see the curtain fall. He smiled at his daughter in her brilliance. She was so observant, especially when matters involved him.

  
The gathering adjourned to Loki’s sitting room, which had been tidied while he’d slept earlier, and hot chocolate was served in lieu of cake. As the conversations swirled around him, Loki took a small sip of the cooled liquid from is porcelain cup. The taste, still rich and creamy and utterly delicious, filled his mouth, but there was a slight hint of bitterness. An odd feeling of constriction and weight settled on his tongue and the Jotunn quickly but discreetly spit the offending liquid out and placed the cup on a side table.

  
His ruby eyes scanned the room, falling on the serving staff, trying to recall who had given him his special, iced cup. In the corner, furthest from the main doors, stood a woman with red hair and an expectant expression. _Her_ , Loki knew instantly. He found himself propelled out of his chair, a rage like a berserker suddenly humming through his blood, his mind telling him to forget it, to let it go while his body had different ideas. He stopped mere inches from the now obviously frightened girl.

  
“What did you do?” he asked, his gravelly voice conveying a soft menace. The woman said nothing as she stood below him, looking defiant. His ruby eyes narrowed. “WHAT DID YOU DO?” he bellowed, his voice roaring from his chest. The room fell into a tense silence. He was seething, his rage was barely contained as he took in the smug expression on the girl’s face. “I slipped you a truth serum so _everyone_ will know what you are up to. **_What you are hiding_**.”

“Oh, darling,” his voice dropped to an angry yet silky whisper. “In order for a truth serum to work, you must ask questions and remember who your opponent is. _I_ am a _very_ powerful sorcerer and the God of Lies. Did you really think I’d drink the whole thing without noticing? I suggest you get out. NOW!”

  
Loki could hear heavy footsteps behind him: Thor. He whirled around, still shouting, “All of you staff - GET OUT! NO ONE, AND I MEAN _NO ONE_ FROM THE STAFF WILL ENTER THIS ROOM UNLESS RUNG FOR. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME? **DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?** ” The servants all bowed rapidly, and practically ran out the doors.

  
Thor was standing a few feet behind Loki and he opened his arms to his brother. “It’s alright,” he crooned, taking his younger sibling in his arms.

  
“No, it’s not, Thor. It’s not _all right_ ,” Loki muttered through shaking breaths. He could feel tears beginning to run down his cheeks. “Something could have happened. _They_ could have been hurt, Thor. I can’t let that happen. I can’t let you go through that again.”

  
The larger man rubbed the Jotunn’s back as his cool tears soaked into his tunic. “I know, Loki, but it’s ok. They’re safe, you’re safe. Nothing bad is going to happen. I won’t let it happen and I know that you won’t let it happen. And everything is fine and will be fine.”

  
Wide ruby eyes, brimmed with tears met the stormy blue one’s. “Promise me, Thor,” he said, sniffling.

  
“I promise,” the King replied, smiling. Loki returned the smile, already feeling better.

  
“Wait, what just happened?”

  
_Shit._

 


	27. Chapter 27

**Loki’s Chambers - Asgard**

  
It was Volstagg who had spoken. Loki generally liked Volstagg, he was usually the last of the Warriors Three to doubt Loki’s character and was usually the first to forgive him any wrong doings. But, sometimes, he was incredibly stupid. Like now, when he asked a question in a room with a person who had just drunk truth serum.

  
Unable to stop himself, the Jotunn answered, “I was just drugged with a truth serum by one of the serving staff because she was curious about my recent behavior.” He snapped his mouth shut, biting his traitorous tongue. He scanned the room and the faces that stared back at him.

  
Frigga was smiling though her eyes looked very worried as they too flickered about the room. Aiko’s face was blank, calculating, waiting to see if he needed her and in what capacity. Jane gave him a shy smile, completely confident in the people within the chamber. Bruce looked a bit shocked by the violent mood swings that his patient that had just gone through. Sif, ever the warrior, had a hand resting on one of her knives. Volstagg looked apologetic. Hogun conveyed no emotion, per usual. Fandral’s face was openly curious, eyebrows raised in question, but thankfully not voicing it. Asha also looked quizzical, though it was well-hidden on her Vanir face.

  
Sighing, Loki turned to Thor. His brother’s face was concerned but trusting. He felt that his younger sibling would do the right thing at the right time. The Jotunn knew that his King would wish him to divulge the news that half the room already knew. Thor was trusting and believed in his friends, having only been betrayed by one person in the chamber, ironically the carrier of his unborn children.

  
Loki looked down at his clawed hands and worried his lips, mulling over the pros and cons in his mind before taking a deep breath. “There is something that I must tell you. I would prefer to do it under my own volition and not under the influence of the truth serum. It is shocking and rather unfathomable, and a bit, well...monstrous -”

  
“No Loki, it’s not,” came Jane’s soft comforting voice from the chaise. He held up his hand.

  
“Please, my Queen, let me finish. It is a monstrous secret that we have been keeping as a family. It involves me _intimately_. I do ask, no _beg_ , that this information not be discussed outside of this room or in the presence of anyone who is not present at this moment.” He paused, gathering himself. He turned to face the gathering, his face solemn and noticeably nervous.

  
“It’s alright, Loki. We are here,” Thor’s bass voice whispered in his ear, a large hand falling protectively on his shoulder.

  
The younger man took a deep breath and announced, “Thor and Jane are expecting twin heirs later this year.”

  
The crowd gasped, smiles breaking out over their faces, all eyes turning from Loki to look lovingly at Jane. “When are you due, Your Majesty?” asked Volstagg, his beaming face earnest.

  
“I thought you were infertile,” stated Sif, reaching out to grasp Jane’s hand.

  
The Queen took it, her smile faltering slightly, “I am.”

  
A shocked muttering filled the room. “But...how?” asked Asha, turning her attention back to Loki. Aiko, seated in the chair beside him, took his cool hand in her warm one, offering comfort and support.

  
He took a shaky breath. “I, along with Doctor Banner, were able to artificially inseminate a carrier for the royal couple’s children.” He closed his eyes against the attention that was being driven into him intensely. He took another stuttering breath. “ _I -_ ” He faltered. Aiko squeezed his hand and Thor gripped his shoulder gently. Feeling their love, Loki found the strength to continue. “I am five weeks into carrying the babes. The maid caught my morning sickness during breakfast.”

  
Silence permeated the room, hurting Loki’s ears more than any hurtful mutterings. He opened his eyes and stared at his stomach, his free hand reaching up to rest on it’s smooth surface in a protective manner.

  
“H-How is that even possible? You are male,” murmured Sif, her voice pointed. “You have lost your shape-shifting seidr. How, Loki? _How?_ ”

  
He gulped, forced to reveal the truth under the serum's influence. “I am _not_ male, Sif. I have never been male, not in the traditional sense.” A soft gasp spread throughout the room. The Frost Giant could feel the gazes of five people trailing up and down his loathsome body, taking in it’s outwardly masculine appearance. Still looking at his stomach, he swallowed and continued. “I was raised male. I identify as male. I have not been fully male in twenty-one years. **I am Jotunn**.”

  
The realization hit him like a ton of bricks, this public admittance of his true nature, his true species and the bodily implications that came with it. He said, “And in being such, I am intersex. As intersex, I have both male and female sex organs. Both are fully functioning. So while I identify and wish to be addressed as male, I have the ability to carry young, an ability that I willingly offered to Thor and Jane so that they would not have to leave the throne of Asgard in the hands of a Jotunn runt with a monstrous past. More importantly, I am doing this so that they can have what they have always wanted, and what they had gifted me when they gave me my daughter.” His gaze shifted to meet Aiko’s blue eyes, a soft smile playing at his lips. “She has brought me immeasurable joy and I only want my brother and sister-in-law to experience the same.”

  
He squeezed Aiko’s hand before raising his eyes to look at the faces of the people in his sitting room. They ranged from loving and accepting from his Mother and Jane, to shocked from Fandral and Volstagg, to quizzical from Asha and knowing from Bruce, to the still unemotional face of Hogun, and lastly, utter disgust from Sif. If it had been physically possible, Loki knew that his face would be a startling shade of red from his embarrassment at spilling so much of himself to the assembled people. Part of the reason so much had been revealed was due to the truth serum, its remnants still gripping his tongue.

  
The other reason he had spilled his secrets, the Jotunn realized, was because he wanted to trust these people. He had known some of them for the entirety of his life. They had been friends once and had truly influenced his youth. The others had accepted him after his return, his new form, and his strange ideas. They were slowly shaping his new life. He had revealed so much in hopes of acceptance, and it did not appear as if any would be coming. He dropped his gaze, feeling particularly vulnerable.

  
The silence broke when Jane rose from her chair and walked to Loki, resting one of her small, warm hands over the hand he had placed over his abdomen. “And we could not be happier,” she smiled up at him. “We - Thor and I - were told that we could _never_ have children of our own and it broke my heart to know that I would never hold my little boy with curly blonde hair and those beautiful blue eyes, like his father. But now, thanks to Loki’s gift and his amazing capabilities, I can. It’s a dream come true because I am going to be a mother to children that bear my blood and the blood of my husband, and are the product of pure love and were carried in an act of self-sacrifice. No one can ask for anything more in their life. No one.”

  
She stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on Loki’s cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered only loud enough for him to hear.

  
A small cough broke their intimate moment, causing both Loki and Jane to look towards the source of the sound. Asha had sunk to her knee, her hand on her heart. “My Lord, it would be an honor to serve you and aid you through this new experience. I will strive to see that your every need is met and nothing like what has happened tonight will happen again. I am at your command.”

  
Loki bit his lip, feeling tears beginning to poke at the corners of his eyes. He left the protective circle of his family and slowly made his way through the sea of faces to the kneeling figure. He knelt in front of her, slowly taking her chin in his icy fingers and tipped it up to look into his eyes. Her hazel gaze met his steadily, a flash of surprise was replaced by a look of awe and a small, kind smile. There was no lie in her eyes or expression, she truly wanted to help him. “Asha,” the prince stated, “I would be deeply honored to have you, your help, and your invaluable knowledge through this trial.” He smiled, keeping his lips firmly closed over his teeth while still conveying his happiness at her willingness to accept him as he was. He offered her his clawed hands, which she accepted, and they rose from the ground together, smiling in their mutual trust.

  
“Loki.” The chief advisor turned to face the Warriors Three. The men all seemed rather uncomfortable and a bit wary, but they were not radiating the repugnance that he felt was coming from Sif. Fandral, the usual spokesman for the group, continued, “This is all a bit much for us to take in. It is a lot of knowledge that you have given us willingly. We” He gestured to the two men on either side of him, “would like you to know that we will not breathe a word of this to another soul but we still need some time, if that is alright?”

  
Loki nodded solemnly with understanding. He still did not quite accept this- and it was his body, his life. “I understand and I appreciate your confidence.” With that, the men rose, bowed to the All-Mother and the King and Queen and took their leave. Sif followed rapidly, disregarding any ceremony, practically storming from the room.

  
Loki knew that she was the one that he needed to worry about the most. She would not do anything now, not wanting to hurt Thor and Jane, but she did not trust him, and she probably never would again.

  
“Thank you all for your support of me,” Loki smiled as he gazed about the loving faces in the room, a single tear falling down his face to freeze on his chin. “I would still be lost without you.”


	28. Chapter 28

**Asgard**

  
After that night, Loki fell into a routine. When he woke in the morning, he was greeted by Aiko who had taken to sleeping by his side. She had claimed that it was because his bed was much more comfortable than hers, but he knew that she truly wanted to keep a close eye on him and wanted to be sure that someone was there at all times in case he needed anything. He was grateful for it, but never said anything, an unspoken agreement between the father and his child.

  
He continued to have to use the restroom almost constantly. It was grating on his nerves, but when he had to go, he HAD to go. He continued to eat plainly, the rolls and broths staying in his stomach along with water and the prenatal vitamin. Every now and again, Aiko or Asha would bring him a cup of chocolate, especially if he had had a particularly trying day which seemed to be a frequent occurrence.

  
He went about his business as chief advisor, attending council meetings daily as well as court when it was held as if nothing was different. He tried extremely hard to keep his shifting mood swings in check, frequently clenching his fists until his claws broke through his calloused palms in order to stop from shouting at the stupidity of some of the council members, foreign dignitaries, or the general public. It was getting harder to not lash out at the mutterings, the shocked inhales, the rolled eyes, but he persevered. He was doing this for his realm, and, more importantly, he was doing this for his brother.

  
By the seventh week, the cravings had started. At first, he was very good, sticking with his strict, no morning sickness diet of rolls and broth, but he eventually gave in. He asked Asha to make him scrambled eggs with just a bit of cheese thrown in and to have a pail handy in case it did not wish to remain down. When the steaming plate was placed in front of him, he carefully frosted it, instantly cooling the concoction before taking a small bite. It tasted delicious, like sunshine wrapped in summer. He shoveled the whole plate into his mouth in record time, patting his still flat stomach upon completion and smiled at Asha. After the scrambled eggs came the salted pork and smoked fish, both of which remained firmly in his stomach. Jane had been right, his cravings were letting him get away with eating things that his body would normally reject, and he was loving it.

  
With the cravings came something that he had been warned about, but had not expected. Loki woke up one morning with an aching chest. Upon closer examination of the area in his bathroom mirror, he did not notice any difference except that his nipples were hard and erect. He tried to rub them down, but that failed utterly, just causing more pain and, embarrassingly, to become slightly aroused. Helblindi had said that he had combatted the pain by binding his chest, something that Loki was unwilling to do at the moment. He looked and appeared normal, his body still thin and angular, his stomach still, surprisingly flat. He did not want to have to display that something was different about him until it was absolutely necessary.   
_____________________________________

  
On the morning of his first prenatal check-up with Bruce, Loki woke up to someone shaking his shoulder. “Blue? Are you okay?” The frightened voice of his daughter sounded in his ear.

  
He rolled over to face her, his brow furrowed. “Yes, why?”

  
She didn’t look like she believed him and replied, “You were muttering something like ‘No, not that’ over and over again. I thought you were having a nightmare.”

  
Loki chuckled, remembering the dream he had just been roused from. “I was surrounded by food and I was saying what I could and couldn’t eat. It was a strange dream, but nothing bad, I promise.” Aiko did not look convinced but she sighed and rolled out of the nest. Loki followed suit, grabbing his daughter from behind in a warm embrace. “I appreciate you looking out for me, my Child of Love. It means so much to have you here.”

  
She turned around, her bed head rubbing against his sensitive nipples and Jotunn ridges, causing him to gasp audibly, and slipped her arms around his defined waist, resting her cheek against his breast bone. “I love you, Blue. So much.” She looked up at him, love written on every inch of her face. “I’m so proud to be your daughter.”

  
“And I could not be a more proud father,” he replied, rubbing his nose with hers before kissing her brow. “ But now you must be off to your tutor and I must get ready for my check-up. I cannot wait to hear about your day at dinner.” She giggled, kissed his lined cheek, and ran to her rooms to prepare for her day.   
___________________________________________

  
**New York City - Avenger’s Tower**

  
The Bifrost deposited the three hooded and cloaked figures on the Avenger’s Tower launch pad, exposing them to the roaring of the March wind. It was exactly eight weeks since Loki was inseminated and six and a half since he was declared officially pregnant with the royal heirs. This check-up was primarily prenatal testing and a brief external and internal exam. Nothing exciting, as Banner had phrased it a few weeks ago after Loki’s rather disastrous Name Day feast. Loki had told his brother and sister-in-law as much, but they had insisted on coming any way, giving Asha a much needed afternoon off.

  
Bruce met them just inside the doors, cringing when the cold air blasted into the warm penthouse, shivering against the frigid air that the Aesir let in. “How are we doing today?” the man asked cheerfully, in awe over his patient’s apparent lack of needing a shirt or even a warm cloak against the chill.

  
As the group wandered towards the elevator and stepped inside, Loki answered, “Well, actually. I have not had morning sickness since my Name Day. I’ve been very careful about what I’ve been eating, mostly due to my strict diet but also due to my relatively healthy cravings. Lots of protein: pork, fish and eggs primarily. I’ve been really good about taking that ridiculously large pill twice a day. Besides that, I’ve been having some strange dreams, which are normal, I have to pee all the time, which is normal, and I have recently discovered some tenderness in my chest, which is also normal. I guess, so far so good, right?”

  
Bruce nodded, smiling at the blue man in front of him. “Everything sounds like it’s going well, then.” They had arrived at the usual check-up room and Loki automatically headed towards the dreaded pink faux-leather chair of torture. “Oh, wait, Loki.” The Jotunn turned to face the doctor. “I need you to pee in a cup for me first.”

  
Loki looked at the pre-offered cup and then looked up at Bruce’s face. The man was not playing him, so he took the tiny bit of plastic along with the lid and muttered, “Well, I have to pee any way.”

  
The doctor ushered him towards the door, placing the hospital gown in his arms as well and gestured to the restroom next door.

  
Once his brother had gone, Thor whispered astonished, “All of those things are happening? No wonder he’s been quiet lately.”

  
Jane laughed, “No, dearest. He’s been quiet because if he opens his mouth in those infuriating meetings of yours, his mood swings are going to tear someone’s head off.” Thor looked at his wife, shocked. Jane smiled. “We’ve been spending a lot of time together before dinner, primarily so he can vent and have an open ear to listen to him. You know, Thor, Loki is so much stronger than anyone is giving him credit for. Well, except maybe Aiko. He’s so different with her than with anyone else. But, I’m really honored that we’ve been able to make some time for each other every day. He’s truly remarkable.”

  
“Who?” came a soft voice from the door as Loki reentered, pee cup in one hand, clothing in the other. The hospital gown was wrapped as tightly as it could go, hiding as much of his blue form as possible.

  
“You, Loki,” Thor smiled genuinely at his brother. “You are remarkable.”

  
The Jotunn gave a half-hearted smile in response, obviously not believing his brother and followed Banner over to the scale. The doctor slid the bars back and forth before recording a weight. He frowned. “Loki. You haven’t gained any weight and you’re two months along. That’s not normal.”

  
The god stepped off the scale and tilted his head to the doctor. “Jotunn do not typically put on weight until the end of the first or beginning of the second trimester. We gain baby, not weight. It’s due primarily to the shortage of food on Jotunnheim during the winter months, which is most of the year. My body will not take in nutrients or typically store fat that it does not need. I’m sorry to alarm you, Doctor Banner, but that is the way I am built.”

  
“Um...sure,” the man replied, making a note on his clipboard. “Alright, climb on up for me, Loki. I’m going to need some blood today.” The doctor grabbed a few vials and the funnel before walking to the pregnant man’s side. The Jotunn tore out his wrist and held the wound over the funnel nonchalantly.

  
Thor was terrified. “Whu-why did you...that’s...what!?” The rest of the assembly laughed at the thunder god’s shocked expression and stuttering question.

  
“The needles aren’t strong enough to penetrate Loki’s skin, so this works just as well,” Bruce replied, changing out the vials before saying. “Alright, Loki, we’re set. I’m going to get these to the lab so we can get the results before you leave.”

  
The younger god healed his wrist, leaving no trace of a scar, and faced his brother smiling toothily. “Honestly, Brother, have you grown a bit squeamish in your impending fatherhood? If you haven’t noticed, I am no longer Aesir, and thus there are some major differences.”

  
Thor scoffed, “I _have_ noticed. I am not blind nor stupid. I am just surprised at some of your...abilities, that is all. I am looking forward to learning more throughout this process.” Jane grabbed his hand lovingly and Loki smiled, pleased to hear the acceptance in his King’s voice.

  
Banner returned and promptly sat on Loki’s other side, opposite Jane. “Ok, so we’ve got to run down the check list of the normal physical, along with the typical gynecology exam, and then I need to give you a pelvic exam and a breast exam. Is that alright?”

Loki’s eyes narrowed and he looked at the doctor with his eyebrows raised. “A... _breast_ exam? I don’t have any _breasts_.” He crossed his arms over his sore chest, feeling self-conscious.

  
Bruce bit his upper lip and raised his eyebrows in response. “Fine,” the Jotunn said exasperated. “What ever you need, Doctor.”

  
“Alright, physical first.”

  
The rest of the exam flew by. The results of his physical remained the same as the previous visit, something that Bruce was very pleased about. Loki grudgingly let the man poke and prod him in the region he still did not want to think about, feeling strangely turned-on when the expanding devise was placed into his hole and Bruce’s gloved finger was inserted. He even let out a disappointed whimper when the finger was withdrawn. _What is wrong with me!_ he wondered through the hormones. He didn’t have to reflect long because the man’s hands were running along his hips and pelvis, giving a bit of pressure here and there, causing Loki to sharply inhale.

  
“Does that hurt?” Bruce asked, brown eyes worried.

  
“It twinges a bit, actually,” Loki responded, the pain dying as suddenly as it had come. The mortal nodded, continuing to run his hands along Loki’s abdomen. “Believe it or not, that’s normal. That’s good. It means that your uterus is expanding, as it should, especially since you believe that you’re carrying twins.”

  
“I am,” the Jotunn said firmly. “I am most certainly carrying twins.”

  
The doctor did not seem to believe him but nodded all the same. “Ok, Loki, you can put your pants back on. I’m going to retrieve the results of the blood and urine tests and then I’m going to have to take a closer look up top.”

  
The Jotunn nodded sulkily. After the man had exited the room, he pulled his trousers back on and removed the gown, crossing his arms childishly over his aching pectorals. “I _do not_ have breasts,” he muttered darkly.

  
“But Loki,” Thor broke into his brother’s moody silence. “If you are feeling sore there, it would be a good idea for Doctor Banner to take a look, just in case. I don’t want you to suffer unnecessarily.” The god’s wise words cut through his brother’s foul mood, causing him to sigh and lower his arms.

  
“You are right, Thor,” he said. “I’m being unreasonable and moody over something that’s going to come any way. I just need to accept that I’m a monster and a freak and be done with it.”

  
Jane reached her hand over to rest on Loki’s cold blue arm. “If it makes any difference, I do not think you are, nor do I ever think you will be. Any one who thinks that is awfully closed minded and not worth your time.” She elbowed her husband in the stomach, causing him to nod his agreement. “I stand with Aiko. You are a fighter and you are a miracle and anyone who tells you differently is wrong.” Loki felt tears beginning to prick at the corner of his eyes and he blinked rapidly to keep them from falling. He smiled down at Jane, a strong woman in her own right, and squeezed her hand.

  
Bruce entered the room, clipboard and results in hand. “Alright Loki. According to our tests, you have an adequate amount of glucose and protein in your system, you have Rh present in your system, so no need for shots. Not that I’d know how to give them to you anyway,” He smiled, looking up at the little family, chuckling at his own sense of humor. Coughing, he continued, “Your red and white blood cells are great, no STDs, or other diseases that we need to worry about and you have a very high level of chorionic gonadotropin, which means that the baby is healthy and developing well. Also, due to the high level, it could support your diagnosis of twins.” He smiled again. “This is all great news! Um....can I take a look at your chest?”

  
Loki nodded, turning his head to face the ceiling, careful that only the base of his skull was resting on the top of the pregnancy throne so that his horns would not get caught. He drew a quick inhale when he felt two warm gloved hands begin to push and rub over his sensitive nipple region. He closed his eyes, and tried to ignore the stirring that was occurring in his nether region. “Ok, everything seems to be developing well up here. Your areolae are dark, meaning that the blood flow there has increased, though it’s not noticeable to anyone who hasn’t studied your body in close proximity. Oh,” his finger rolled over a small bump that felt like it was covered in tiny beads. “Did you feel that, Loki?” The man nodded, still not looking. “That is a lobule and as your, uh...”

  
“Breasts, just call them breasts,” the Jotunn muttered. Jane squeezed his arm reassuringly.

  
“As your breasts develop, they will have 15 to 20 of those each. The lobules are found in clusters known as lobes and they are what produce the milk that will feed the babies.” The latex-covered hands were removed from the cool blue ridged chest. “We’re all set! Could we plan on coming back in about a month for the first ultrasound and another check-up?”


	29. Chapter 29

**Asgard**

  
It had been about a week and a half since his last visit with Bruce and, as expected, his body had begun to change on him. He was certain that he was the only one that could tell, staring at his slightly less angular abdominal region that lay right above his loincloth and pants. It was definitely softening, and it bothered him.

  
“Blue?” Aiko’s sleepy voice called from the nest bed. “Is everything alright? Did you have another bad dream?”

  
The strange nightmares had grown more frequent as of late and he woke once or twice a night in different stages of panic and shock. He would rouse himself off the bed, trying not to wake his daughter, go to the restroom, still having to pee incessantly, and splash some cool water on his face to chase the remnants of the dreams away.

  
They were always the same. A large, angry mob of mixed peoples, complete with pitchforks and other manner of crude weaponry, cornered him, alone in a dark Asgardian street. They shouted insults, threw rotting food and stones, and slowly but steadily closed in around him. He was always great with child, unable to defend himself with his seidr for fear of harming the babes, and unable to move faster than an undignified waddle, both arms wrapped protectively around the bottom of his enormous stomach. Every time, instead of feeling fear for himself, he always woke praying for the safety of the children.

  
He had not told Thor, Jane, or Frigga about the dreams, but he had told Aiko. It was impossible for him not to, as he woke her with a shout or a sudden jerky movement more often than not. He could not lie to her, her beautiful concerned face making him look into her blue eyes, her warm hand caressing his cheek. He did not know if she had told anyone else. He figured that she would probably wait until his distress became to great for her to handle alone.

  
A soft padding of bare feet on carpet met his sensitive ears, followed by the scent of rosemary, sage, and oil paint. He turned his head to look at his daughter, unable to hide the distress in his eyes. “Blue?” she asked softly. “What’s wrong?”

  
His clawed hands rested on the softer skin below his navel as he turned to face his reflection. “I’m getting fat.” He could almost hear the sarcastic cock of her eye brow.

  
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said, chuckling to herself as she walked towards him. “You look the same as you always have.”

  
“No,” he said, determination seeping into his gravelly voice. “Right here.” He took her hand in his and placed it on his lower abdomen. The woman could feel that it was no longer plastered flat against his muscles as it had been. There was the thinnest layer of fat there, causing the area to lose some of it’s definition, but it was certainly nothing compared to what was going to be coming.

  
“Blue,” she said, her blue eyes sparkling with excitement. “Do you know what this means?”

  
“That I’m getting fat,” he said flatly, though a mischievous spark glinted in his ruby eyes.

  
She elbowed him gently in the ribs. “No, silly! It means that the babies are growing and that they’re healthy. Isn’t that what we want?” She smiled her megawatt smile at him, eliminating any of his insecurities for the moment.

  
“Yes, I suppose so,” He murmured, kissing her head. “What would I do without you, my Child of Love?” She beamed up at him as she pulled him back towards and onto the bed.

  
“Let’s not find out,” she said, kissing his cheek and slowly rubbing his tense back muscles as he drifted off to sleep.  
_________________________________

  
Loki sat in the council meeting, slowly rubbing his slightly pudgy stomach. Aiko had confirmed to him that the change was not perceptible unless you were touching the area, but he still found his hand there often, stroking the softening skin. It comforted him and actually kept his still violent mood swings to a minimum.

  
His eyelids drooped and he yawned behind his hand. This treaty with Alfheim over wool and pottery bartering was drawing near to the third hour of negotiations and he was exhausted, hungry, grumpy, and, of course, had to pee. He looked over at his brother, trying to alert him to his need to get out of the room for a few minutes, glaring pointedly and raising an eyebrow. Thor did not notice, still pouring over the documents in front of him with an acute focus that made him oblivious to what lay around him. Volstagg, whose wife had been pregnant so many times Loki had lost count, noticed his distress, and nodded at him, sympathetically. The bearded man gave a small cough, splitting the silence in the windowless chamber.

  
“My Lords and Ladies, I was wondering if anyone would like to step outside for a brief recess. We may get further if we step back for a while. I’m sure the kitchen staff would be more than willing to make us a late lunch, don’t you agree my King?”

  
Thor looked up from the papers and caught Loki’s meaningful look. “Oh, goodness! Look at the time! We’ve been in here for three hours, no wonder I was feeling so hungry. I move to adjourn this meeting for an hour. Could I have someone second the motion?” Thor boomed to the assembly.

  
Fandral, bored out of his mind, leapt to second and the entire group was standing and stretching their aching limbs and beginning separate conversations amongst themselves as they moved towards the door. Loki caught up with Volstagg, and gently touched the large man on his broad shoulder.

  
“Thank you, Volstagg. I know that the Light Elves would have ignored a request if it came from my lips.” He quickly withdrew his hand and made to leave when a warm and sweaty palm landed solidly on his bare shoulder. The Jotunn turned, startled, to find that the hand belonged to the red-headed man who had once been one of his closest friends and allies. His brow furrowed slightly, and a hand flew to a horn, stroking it out of habit.

  
Volstagg looked Loki up and down, his gaze lingering a bit longer on the younger man’s stomach region than the owner would have liked. “It was a pleasure, Loki. I want to help you in any way that I can. I, uh...” he rapidly glanced around the room at the retreating dignitaries. “I have some experience in these matters, after all. I sympathize, though, I must say that you are handling this far better than my wife.” He gave a belly jiggling chuckle as he slapped the Jotunn on the back and walked out the door, leaving Loki in the silent chamber with Thor.

  
“How are you today, Brother?” the king asked, hesitantly but with concern. “I am sorry that I kept you in that chair for so long. I was preoccupied with finishing this ridiculous trade agreement.”

  
Loki smiled, knowingly. “You are doing your job, Brother, very well, I might add. The kingship suits you. As for me, I am a bit tired. I did not sleep well.” He gave a self depreciating chuckle as he continued to stroke the smooth rings of his lacquered horn. “In fact, I cannot remember the last time I have slept through the night!”

  
Thor approached the blue ridged man and wrapped his cool body into his strong arms. “It will get better, Loki, I am sure of it.”

  
“We shall see, Brother, we shall see.” The two brothers made their way out of the chamber and into the bright, sunlit hallway, smiling.  
__________________________________

  
“Mother.” The hesitant voice from her youngest son startled the All-Mother from her spinning. She looked up smiling, surprised to find Loki in the All-Father’s bedchamber. He had not entered it in about half a year, not since he had had a private audience with her husband while he Slept. His face looked a bit worried and shocked, but she smiled all the same, trying to bring him comfort.

  
“Loki, darling, please come in,” she said softly, abandoning her spinning to hug her child. He clung to her, breathing in her warmth like he once had as a babe, his horned head resting carefully on her shoulder. She rubbed his lined back, feeling his muscles shiver and contract as each Jotunn ridge was touched by her gentle hands. “Is everything alright, my Child? What brings you to your f- the All-Father’s chambers?”

  
Her baby boy stood up to his full height and held his arms open, giving her a look that said ‘Don’t you see?’ She observed that his body, now eleven weeks along, was a little less defined. He had gained maybe a pound, a thin layer of fat covered his mid-section but it did little to cover his defined abdominals except soften the edges. Her gaze rose a bit higher, and then she saw what he had come to her for. His flat chest had begun to puff out slightly, not to the point where anyone who wasn’t looking for changes would see them, but there was definitely a change there.

  
She met his gaze, smiling sadly. “I am assuming that you are here for advice?” She walked to her lost looking son, took his cool hand in her warm one, and led him to the chaise. He nodded dumbly, his arms crossing over the growing breast buds self-consciously. She sighed, saddened by his insecurities but knowing that they were well founded, which saddened her even further. “I am sure that I have a solution, though I do not know if you will like it.”

  
His gruff voice answered, “Anything is better than this.” He took her proffered hand, leaving the other ridged arm clamped tightly across his chest. She led him from Odin’s chambers and into her rooms.

  
Entering her second, private sitting room, she said gently, “Have a seat. I’ll be back in a moment.” As Frigga left, Loki looked around the small chamber. His mother’s small collection of spell and potion books were placed in a book shelf behind plates of locked glass. Her herbs and vials were store likewise over a small wooden table. Her scrying bowl sat on another small table near the center of the room, a pitcher of water beside it. The two of them had had many lessons in this room. He had learned so much about the powerful gift that resided within himself through her tutelage. Above her mantle was a portrait, most likely by Aiko, of her two sons, beaming and laughing. One was larger than life, golden and bearded his head thrown back in mirth. The other was not as domineering, a mixture of black and blue mischief with a one-sided grin that revealed sharp fangs, a lined hand resting on a slate grey horn. The image made him smile, reflecting on how truly close he and his brother had become through this ordeal.

  
“She is so talented, your daughter.” He spun his head around to find his mother standing before him with her arms full of cloth. He smiled again.

  
“Yes, she is,” he said, his voice swelling with pride. His eyes darted to the large pile of fabric in his mother’s arms. “What is that for?”

  
Setting the pile down, Frigga began to shake the material out, revealing clothing. “These, my son, are my maternity clothes, along with some soft bandages.” She glanced up, seeing his appalled face. “Now before you refuse my help, I am only giving you the bandages. I just want you to begin to think about how you are going to hide your pregnancy. I am assuming that you wish to keep it hidden from the public?” She glanced up to see his confirming nod. “Then you shall need tunics that do not hug your figure. It is better to start to wear them sooner, rather than later. It will dim the suspicions, especially since it has been so cold as of late and you will be venturing to Jotunnheim soon. It is the perfect time to make those wardrobe adjustments.”

  
The next hour was spent teaching Loki how to wrap his chest comfortably so that his tender new acquisitions would become relatively flat without being pained or restricting his breathing. Frigga pointed out to him that they would only grow, again emphasizing the need for tunics. He looked through his mother’s soft and flowy collection of maternity gowns, gathering ideas for his new shirts. Once he was done, he hugged the woman that was his mother and kissed her lovingly on the cheek.

  
“Thank you, Mother, for your help today. I cannot convey enough gratitude for your kindness and guidance.”

  
“It is an honor, Loki, to help you. I am just so proud of you and your decision to go through with this. I remember our first conversation about it nearly a year ago now. You are making your brother a very lucky and happy man.” She stroked his lined cheek, causing him to lean into the warm caresses, closing his ruby eyes.

  
Then he chuckled. “Who’d have thought that we’d ever have had a conversation about maternity wear! Goodness, I have certainly brought a lot of strange things to Asgard!”

  
Frigga’s bell-like laugh joined his. “Strange, yes, but wonderful. I would not have expected anything less from you, my baby boy.”


	30. Chapter 30

**New York City - Avenger’s Tower**

  
“Alright, Loki. Everything appears to be in order. That leaves one item on our agenda. Are you ready to see the little ones that have been causing you such grief?”

  
The Jotunn nodded enthusiastically, his horns clacking against the headrest. He felt a gentle squeeze from Jane, her small hand fitting easily in his rough grasp. Thor gripped his brother’s other hand, as if he were hanging from the Bifrost again, not willing to let go for an instant. “I think that we are ready.”

  
The mortal stood and gathered his supplies. The ultrasound machine was wheeled into the room from it’s location next door. “You’re never going to guess what lies I had to tell Tony to let me buy this thing!” the doctor exclaimed as he clicked off the lights and settled back down near Loki’s flat, though less defined abdomen. He picked up a tube of pale blue-green gel and turned to Loki who had removed his tunic, the gold breast bandage, hiding two small swells, sparkling in the dim light from the machine.

  
“I would normally say that this is going to feel cool, but chances are that it’s not. It’s a bit sticky, and it’s going to get everywhere, and for that, I apologize.” With that said, the man squirted a copious amount of the semi-solid onto the royal blue stomach the lay below him. The gel was actually warm to the touch on Loki, and rather pleasant in spite of it’s peculiar texture and consistency. The Jotunn sighed, enjoying the feeling.

  
Bruce raised a wand that was attached to a long, spiraled chord, and said, “Now I know that you have not peed in a few hours, correct.”

  
“Yes, and it’s killing me!” the Jotunn whined, just barely resisting the urge to cross his legs against the pressure.

  
“Um...well, I’m sorry about this next bit, then. I’m going to have to apply a tiny bit of pressure so that the images will be clear.” The wand descended into the gooey glob on the abs of his patient and he slowly pushed, spreading the gel around on the surface.

  
After about a minute of silence, the doctor spoke again. “Ah Ha! There we are. Listen.”

  
Silence filled the room as everyone’s ear’s adjusted to the faint sounds that were coming from the machine. A slow, thudding beat was the first thing that they heard. “That slow pulse is your heartbeat, Loki, but keep listening.” A faint almost fluttering patter was heard along with a distinct echo. Both were nearly imperceptible, so soft, especially in comparison to the strong pumping of Loki’s heart. Bruce smiled, looking at the three gods above him.

  
“Those are your babies’ heartbeats. You were right, Loki, you are carrying twins.” The man spoke softly, almost reverently as the beating permeated the room and filled the assembled Asgardians with wonder.

  
Shifting the devise, Bruce spun the monitor so that they could all see the image. The black and white picture was grainy and the image kept moving, but the outline was unmistakeable. “This is baby number one,” Bruce announced. He took his finger and pointed to the image, pointing out the hands and feet, which were waving joyfully, along with the head which turned to face the wand. A soft click rang through the room as the doctor shot a picture of baby number one. “A real photogenic one, don’t you think?” he chuckled.

  
“Just like his father,” Jane whispered.

  
“Actually, not that I have any right to make predictions, but I think this one is a girl,” Bruce said, adjusting the instrument as the baby tried to move out from underneath it.

  
“A daughter,” Thor whispered. “We’re having a daughter.” He smiled at Jane across Loki, his awe and happiness completely overwhelming.

  
Banner coughed, shifting the wand away from baby number one. “Let’s see if we can find baby number two, shall we?” The wand traveled back and forth, applying pressure throughout Loki’s bladder, making him want to squirm.

  
Finally, right by his left hip bone, Bruce stopped. “Here’s baby number two,” he announced proudly. “I don’t think I have any doubt in saying that this one is a little boy.” The image produced was similar to the last one, it’s little arms and legs floating about it’s body, it’s large head presented in profile. What was unmistakeable was the extra something that appeared, erect, between the baby’s legs. Definitely a boy.

  
“An heir,” Loki breathed and looked at his brother. “I’m carrying your heir.” He couldn’t believe it, a wave of emotions flooded through him as Bruce snapped a picture of baby number two. Jane was crying, as was Thor, both so happy that they could not contain their emotions behind their usual diplomatic masks.

  
Bruce printed the pictures and turned off the machine before offering Loki a towel to remove the goop that was smeared from the bottom of his ribcage to the top of his pubic bone. “Congratulations, Loki. This is very exciting,” whispered Banner, smiling at the blue man kindly. “You’ve made two people very happy.”

  
Loki returned the smile and the towel, saying, “They deserve it. After all, they’ve made _me_ very happy too.”


	31. Chapter 31

**Asgard**

  
The preparations had been made for the small contingent to travel to Jotunnheim. It had been two days since the ultrasound and the royal family was still basking in it’s glow, passing the pictures from person to person, ogling at the tiny beings that were housed within the Jotunn. Jane, becoming a bit overprotective, did not want Loki to travel to Jotunnheim for the month, in spite of his promise to his brother and overlooking his responsibilities as ambassador to that realm. Thor reasoned with Jane repeatedly but still had to practically pull her off of his younger brother as he stood at the Bifrost.

  
The contingent had grown slightly since their last trip to the ice-covered realm. Asha would be going, her small body wrapped in furs until only her eyes peered out from beneath her hood and over her scarf. Aiko, who had also insisted on going, stating that she too had promised Helblindi to be there for the birth of his heir, was at his side. Everyone knew her real reason, however, was that she did not want to let her father out of her sight. She was wearing Frigga’s gift, appearing as beautiful as ever, and even coming across as comfortable in her blue skin. The most surprising member of the party came in the presence of Fandral. The handsome blonde god had insisted on coming claiming that he wanted to learn more about his Prince’s people.

  
The thought made Loki smile. Both Fandral and Volstagg had been helpful and generally open in the last month. Both men would subtly keep an eye on Loki through dealings, noting when he seemed to become uncomfortable, and would call for a brief recess. They had even tried to create ways for him to contribute in the dealings, asking him specific questions or for his opinion. Many of the foreign dignitaries did not heed what the Jotunn had to say, but at least Loki felt as if he was being heard by some of the Aesir. It was a nice change, to have the two men back as allies, and for that the younger prince was grateful.

  
He adjusted his cloak and tunic, making sure that his breast band was not showing, his stomach still flat, though a bit pudgy. He and Thor had discussed the revealing of his state to the Jotunn people, as they would certainly figure it out quickly, many of their people forgoing shirts and tunics as well as trousers which Loki had taken to wearing. They had decided that only Helblindi and Elksa would know the truth of the children that Loki carried, both for his safety and for theirs. Shortly after his return, and following Aiko’s Name Day celebration, the announcement would be made.

  
He looked up and beamed at his family. Frigga smiled back proudly. His King, his large arms wrapped securely around his Queen, seemed a bit sad to see the group leaving, but was certainly far from the distressed look that Jane was giving.   
“Jane,” Loki said, smiling at her encouragingly. “I promise that nothing is going to happen. We will scry each other as often as we can. You are not going to miss anything, my dear. I promise.” The small woman nodded, biting her lower lip as her eyes threatened to spill tears. The Jotunn nodded to the Watcher, “We are ready when you are, Heimdall.”  
______________________________________

  
**Utgard, Jotunnheim**

  
The wind and snow met the travelers in full force. Even Loki was glad to have the extra layer of the tunic to combat against the sting of the icy snow against his skin. There was a lone figure who stood a few feet away, waiting for the Aesir dignitaries to arrive, likewise bundled in a fur cloak and a longer loincloth over his blue, weather-beaten flesh.

  
Loki bowed, the rest of his group kneeling briefly in the snow, before saying, “Elksa - King, it is wonderful to see you and to be back here in the beautiful country of Jotunnheim.”

  
Elksa returned the gesture, bowing and welcoming the small gathering. “Come, let’s get you inside where it is warmer. The winter seems to want to cling to the world, even we are getting sick of it!” The Frost Giant chuckled, a sound that echoed like grating rocks as he led the four Aesir to the monumental palace doors and called for them to be opened. “Helblindi has asked for you, Loki-Prince and Aiko-Princess. If you follow Hrydr, he will bring you to him. I shall show the rest of your party to their rooms, and maybe a warm bath.”

  
Loki nodded to Asha and Fandral, and said, “We shall meet you after our visit with the King.” The two travelers bowed their heads slightly and turned to follow Elksa. Loki took his daughter’s cool hand in his and nodded to the other Frost Giant present. “Lead on, Hrydr. I do not wish to keep my brother, His Majesty, waiting."

  
The climb to the top of the palace was long and rather arduous, making Loki regret the extra weight he had put on and the fatigue that he felt due to his state of constant exhaustion. Aiko, as if sensing his frustration, wrapped her arm firmly around his waist and gave him a comforting side hug. “We’re nearly there, Blue! And just think, by the end of the month, we’re going to be running up these steps.”

  
He chuckled, laying a blue palm on her shoulder and shaking his head. “I think that you will be doing the running, Aiko. I will huffing and puffing about three floors behind you.”

  
She smiled her star-shaming smile at him in response. “I think _someone_ needs to start climbing the walls again.”

  
When the small group finally reached the top landing, the pregnant Jotunn was glad to see the end of the winding stairs. He felt a bit light-headed and dizzy from the climb but he hid it from Hrydr, not wanting to reveal any weakness in the presence of the page. The larger Jotunn knocked firmly on the large oak doors in front of the father and daughter pair. A muffled, “Enter!” rung through the hallway, and Hrydr swung a door open and gestured the royal pair inside.

  
“Helblindi-King, may I present Loki-Prince and Aiko-Princess, just arrived from Asgard?” Hrydr bowed low to the figure on the bed.

  
“Oh, yes, of course. Thank you Hrydr. Please, leave us.” The voice seemed to be coming from an enormous pile of furs draped over an expansive bed. “Loki-Brother, Aiko-Niece, come closer, where I can see you.”

  
The smaller Jotunn made their way towards the bed, hearing a soft click as the door to the chamber closed behind them. The king was reclining, propped up by massive pillows, his head sticking out from a rather rotund belly, covered in luxurious furs, and a pair of large breasts. Loki swallowed, his gaze flicking downward towards his own swellings, hating them and the femininity that they brought to his foreign body and hoping that they would never get that large.

  
Helblindi smiled broadly, “I am so glad that you have not forgotten about me, Brother. I was beginning to wonder if April would ever come.”

  
Loki smiled good-naturedly, “You are looking well, Brother. If I may ask, when are you due?” 

“In about a week, according to the healers, though I am ready to get up off this bed and out of this room. I have been here for over a month, and I am sick of it. Seeing the same people day in and day out, being unable to see my feet, and the constant back pain. Argh! It seems as if it will never end!”

  
“Well, Uncle, I am honored that we have made it here in time to greet your heir properly,” Aiko smiled, stepping closer to the large Jotunn and placing her tiny hand on his massive shoulder.

  
The King’s smile widened, before he winced. Quickly he grabbed Aiko’s small, slender hand and pressed it to his immense stomach. “Do you feel that?” he asked Aiko, his eyes bright and questioning.

 

The woman nodded, her smile growing wider. “That, my darling, is the heir of Jotunnheim. His foot, to be more exact.”

  
“He is so strong, just like his mother,” she said kindly, in awe of the force that she felt behind the outward pressure.

  
“His father is the strong one, my dear. Elksa is the bravest warrior in the realm, and this little boy will be just like his father, I can feel it."

 

Helblindi beckoned Loki over. “Would you like to feel, Loki-Brother? It is truly miraculous.”

  
Loki smiled, thinking of the two miracles that he was carrying but had yet to feel. “Of course!” He responded happily. “Where shall I put my hand?” A large, rough palm and fingers wrapped around his Claws and placed his hand on the gigantic stomach, a bit lower down that Aiko’s shifting the furs to reveal thin purple veins, but no stretch marks.

  
“Ah, here.” The smaller man’s hand was placed, allowing Loki to feel a slightly shifting push through the thin skin. “This is my son’s hand. He has been in position for a week and a half now. He is ready to come and often kicks me in his impatience!”

  
Loki chuckled. “Pregnancy has suited you well, Helblindi-Brother. How do you lack stretch marks, may I ask?”

  
The Jotunn chuckled. “It is a blessing of our skin, Brother. Due to the size and our constantly shifting weight, it is very elastic and can accommodate an infant as large, or even larger than mine without stretching past it’s maximum.”

  
Loki nodded, shifting his hand to follow that of his nephew, and skewing the collar of his tunic and revealing the top of his breast band. “What is that, Brother?” Helblindi asked, concerned, a large finger gently pulling at the embroidered fabric.

  
Loki smiled, knowing that he would be blushing now if it were possible. “It is what you think it is, Brother,” he murmured shyly, keeping his eyes on the hand he had placed over Helblindi’s stomach. The finger worked it’s way to Loki’s ridged chin and turned his head to meet the King’s ruby eyes.

  
“Brother?” he asked, eye searching Loki’s face. “Does this have to do with our conversation during your last visit?”

  
Loki nodded, swallowing nervously. Now that he was here, he wanted to hide. Hide his pregnancy, hide the identity of the parents, hide his changing body. Just run back to Asgard and remain in his rooms so that no one could see him in this shameful state. Then Helblindi beamed at him, his hand releasing Loki’s chin and traveled down to his stomach. “May I?” he asked softly. Loki nodded again, surprised by Helbindi’s total acceptance of him. The smaller Jotunn felt a strong push against his palm. Who was his brother to judge? After all, wasn’t he in the same boat?

  
“How long?” Helblindi asked. Aiko reached her free hand to her father’s arm, rubbing the ridges there comfortingly.

  
“13 weeks,” Loki said, his voice rough with emotion.

  
“And still not showing? You are a lucky man!” The larger Jotunn smiled at him enthusiastically. “Any symptoms?”

  
“I had morning sickness once but I quickly combatted it with light meals. I’ve had cravings, primarily for cooked meats, which has been wonderful. I have missed cooked food so much. I’ve been having awful dreams and terrible mood swings. And I’ve had to pee so much, it’s terribly annoying.” Loki watched his younger sibling’s large hand as it stroked his flat but flabby stomach. “Besides that, everything has been fine.”

  
Helblindi nodded, humming his happiness for the easy pregnancy. “And the father? I see you are unmarked, and thus no life-mate. Did he force himself on you?”

  
The intensity of the reclining man’s gaze caused Loki to avert his eyes. “No. It is nothing like that.”

  
“Then what is it, Loki-Brother? How came you by this joyous condition?” Loki could feel his sibling’s eyes, bearing into him like daggers. He took a deep, shaky inhale. Aiko gently gripped his arm reassuringly.

  
“This information cannot leave this room Brother. You may tell Elksa and no one else, is that understood?”

  
Helblindi withdrew his hand, a concerned look flashing across his large, expressive face. It was replaced with a wary expression, calculating the demands of his older brother.

  
“You have my word. Now answer my question. _Who is the father?_ ”

 

Loki took a deep calming breath and said, “Thor.”

  
“WHAT?! THE KING OF ASGARD DARE DEFILE MY BROTHER - OUR MUTUAL BROTHER!” Helblindi raged at the revelation as Loki tried to calm him down.

  
“IT WAS NOT LIKE THAT, HELBLINDI! I SWEAR! _I swear_!” His softening voice got his brother’s attention. Loki continued while his sibling remained seething in silence. “While Thor is the father, Jane-Queen is the mother. I am but a vessel, carrying their heirs.”

 

Helblindi cocked an eyebrow, confused and still wary. “How?”

  
Loki launched into the tale of his plan, his careful research, his arrangement with Doctor Banner, and his Christmas gift to his brother and sister-in-law who had always wanted a child of their own. He talked about the insemination and the science that the Midgardians used to make it possible. He talked about their anticipation, and then their joy at the news that he was, indeed carrying the child of the King and Queen. He talked about his disastrous Name Day and how everything was nearly ruined by a nosy maid. He enlightened Helblindi to the doctor’s visits and the prenatal vitamins and the constant check-ups. He talked about hiding his state from the people of Asgard, and how he too must promise to do that until the announcement was made. Lastly, he talked about the joy he felt when he had discovered the twins, their strength in response to his seidr and the ultrasound that confirmed it.

  
By the end of the tale, the faint sun had long set and the evening meal had been consumed and removed. Elksa had arrived, bringing Asha and Fandral, growing their circle of knowledge and complete joy.

  
“Loki-Brother,” Helblindi said, honestly, “You will never cease to amaze me.”


	32. Chapter 32

**Utgard, Jotunnheim**

  
Loki and Aiko were roused in the early morning about a week later by a frazzled looking Hrydr. The page did not even seem surprised to find the father and daughter in the same bed, albeit at opposite ends. He just quickly bowed before them, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he tried to regain his breath.

  
“My Lord, my Lady,” he wheezed. “Helblindi-King and Elksa-King have insisted that you report to their rooms at once. I believe that Helblindi-King is in labor.”

  
Loki and Aiko’s shocked and surprised faces met each other across the bed and both leapt from the nest, pulling warm fur robes about their shoulders and quickly ran to follow Hrydr out of Loki’s rooms and up the winding staircase.

  
Surprisingly, maybe due to the fact that he had been sleeping better as of late, Loki was able to easily keep pace with the page as they quickly climbed the stairs. He was huffing a little when he reached the top, his breast band constricting some of his lung capacity, but he felt good, none the less. Grabbing his daughter’s hand, the two small Jotunn quickly pushed the large doors opened and entered the birthing chamber.

  
Helblindi rested in his life-mate’s strong, muscled arms, a faint sheen of frost coating his brow, his hands wrapped underneath his exposed and protruding belly as it shifted with his every breath.

  
His ruby eyes connected with his brother’s and he smiled. “You are here. Wonderful, now this babe can come into the world surrounded by his family, as it should be.” His face contorted as a contraction wracked his body and he let out an undignified grunt.

  
Elksa gently ran his hands over his life-mate’s head and shoulders whispering sweet nothings into the other’s ear. After a minute, Helblindi collapsed back against his lover’s chest, breathing heavily. The other Jotunn supported his tired frame, looking at Loki, who seemed rather worried, and Aiko, who looked astounded.

  
“He’s been at this for five hours. His water broke about an hour and a half ago. Our child is coming. Any moment now.” He stroked Helblindi’s Crown, scraping the frost away as it formed along the ridges of his brow and cheeks. Seeing the confusion on the smaller Jotunns’ faces, he smiled. “We do not sweat often, only in the labor of childbirth and then it freezes the instant it touches our skin, helping to cool our bodies as our temperatures rise with the strain. He will be alright, he is strong.” The consort smiled down at his life-mate, ever stroking and sloughing the ice away.

  
Helblindi, recovered from his latest bought of contractions, smiled and whispered, “Not as strong as you, my Love.” His hands splayed across the vast dark blue expanse of his stomach. “I think I am ready to begin pushing.” He held out his hands to Loki and Aiko, each of taking one in both of theirs, squeezing the King’s gently. A Jotunn healer arranged himself between the King’s spread thighs, nodding his agreement with the King.

  
“The heir is crowning sire. He is ready when you are. On the next set of contractions, I think you should push.” Helblindi nodded, biting his lower lip and breathing cyclically, his eyes closed, in an attempt to relax his exhausted body.

  
As the next bought of contractions began, Helblindi doubled over, gritting his fangs silently as he pushed. “I have his head, Your Majesty. One more push and he’ll be free.”

  
With a roar, the Jotunn expelled his child from his birth canal and was rewarded with a loud cry from between his shaking legs. Helblindi fell back against a now grinning Elksa, who continued to stroke his life-mate’s head and cooed continuously in his ear. All eyes focused on the healer and the screaming blue infant that he know held.

  
“Congratulations, Helblindi-King, Elksa-King, you are now the proud parents of a strong heir.” The healer gently lifted the naked infant up into Helblindi’s waiting arms. Elksa snaked his head around his lover’s shoulders and bit through the umbilical cord, detaching the mother and infant as his life-mate gave one last shutter, eliminating the placenta.

  
The child was robust, about three and a half feet in length and at least seventy-five pounds. He shrieked and squirmed against his mother’s breasts, his large ruby eyes wandering about the room. Both parents were smiling adoringly at the babe, crying tears of joy. Hot, salty rivulets poured down Loki’s face as well as he looked at his brother and the miracle he had produced, rubbing his own smooth tummy. Aiko was looking from Helblindi to Loki in amazement. In a few short months, her father would be producing a similar miracle, twice. It astounded her and scared her, this labor of love and true test of strength.

  
After a few moments had passed and the heir had latched greedily onto one of his brother’s copious and leaking breasts, Loki cleared his throat. “Congratulations, Helblindi-Brother, Elksa-Brother-in-Law. We should leave you to get some rest. We’ll come back in a few hours.” He held his arms out for Aiko, who also murmured her congratulations, and they headed out the door, arm and arm, reflecting on what they had just witnessed.


	33. Chapter 33

**Utgard, Jotunnheim**

  
“Yes, a beautiful heir. Just this morning, though I know that I would have liked to sleep a few more hours,” Loki confirmed into his scrying bowl. Frigga and Jane had crowded around his mother’s own bowl in Asgard, eager to hear the news of the newest royal baby.

  
“What was it like?” Jane asked. Frigga placed an arm around her daughter-in-law’s small shoulders.

  
“Honestly,” Loki smiled. “Terrifying. I’m pretty sure that your two children are going to have to rule Asgard from my abdomen because I am _never_ pushing them out.” He chuckled, only half joking. “I was exhausted just watching it happen. I cannot imagine what Helblindi was feeling. The babe is nearly four feet tall, a giant even by Jotunn standards. But a handsome fellow, none the less. All the proper ridges in place and no, uh, deformities, like mine, to speak of. Only beautiful, bald, and blue for the royal heir.”

  
Frigga leveled a scolding eye at Loki. “ _You_ have no deformities, my son. Only perfections.”

  
Loki stroked a horn idly. “Thank you, Mother, that is very kind. Though we both know that I speak the truth.” Frigga sighed.

  
Wanting desperately to change the subject, Loki’s hand drifted towards his stomach. “Oh! I nearly forgot. I went back to bed after our little morning of excitement and woke to a surprise. Is Thor there?”

  
Frigga nodded as Jane yelled, “Honey, put that treaty down and come talk to your brother!” He heard the king’s thunking footsteps on the carpet of his mother’s sitting room and a third face appeared, crowding the bowl.

  
“Hello, Loki. You look well,” he said, smiling.

  
“Why, thank you, Thor! It is most definitely the pregnancy. I think it’s done wonders for my hair and I do have a bit of a glow, if I do say so myself.” He flipped his long braid over his shoulder, showing off it’s shiny, lustrous quality while Aiko chuckled at his vanity. He looked at his daughter, smiling. “Could you tilt the bowl up a bit, darling Aiko? Thank you.”

  
As the bowl tipped, Loki stood, his stomach angling slightly upward to a rounded point before flowing back down. It was a small difference, but a definite bump had formed. “I don’t know where it came from. I swear it wasn’t there a few hours ago.” The image in the bowl wobbled as Aiko nodded her agreement. “It just came out of nowhere,” chimed in her musical voice.

  
Jane shrieked with delight, “Oh, Loki! That is amazing! Thor, THOR. That is our babies! Our babies! Can you believe it? CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!?” 

Thor kept repeating “Yes, Jane,” excitedly over and over again.

  
Frigga gasped and reached out to touch the swelling on her son’s stomach and accidentally broke the connection.

  
Loki watched the image fade and pulled his tunic back down, concealing the bump from the outside world. His ruby eyes sparkled as they met Aiko’s orbs. “I don’t think Jane is going to be able to wait until the end of the month, do you?”

  
Aiko chuckled as she replaced the bowl on the table and ran to her father’s side, wrapping her arms around his slightly larger middle, a barely noticeable difference. He kissed her nose and whispered, “I am so glad to be sharing this with you, my Child of Love.”

  
“Me too, Blue, me too,” she murmured into his chest, nestling against his warmth, reveling in the feeling in her blue skin. She hummed against his chest, enjoying the touch as he held her head against his breast bone. 


	34. Chapter 34

**Utgard, Jotunnheim**

  
The remainder of April flew by. Loki and Aiko remained busy, negotiating trade agreements between the realms and finding ways to keep both parties happy. Aiko was commissioned by Helblindi to create the first ever royal portrait. She worked feverishly, for hours on end with her oil paints before, finally, emerging eight days later with a life-sized painting of Elksa and Helblindi arm in arm, holding the sleeping babe between them.

  
Fandral, the charmer that he was, attracted much attention from the younger Jotunn. He spent hours sparing with them with his rapier, exchanging blows and wit much to their delight. Loki was glad that he had come. By exposing an Aesir of such prominence to the lifestyle and culture of the Jotunn, Loki hoped that the prejudices that existed between their peoples would begin to lessen.

  
Asha remained ever present at Loki’s side, braving the bone-chilling temperatures to bring him the foods and drinks that he craved along with the ever-present prenatal vitamins. She tended to his tunics, letting them out a bit at the hems to keep his growing bump hidden from the public eye. She also began to help bind his swollen chest, also steadily growing. Loki realized that she was truly a gift and he began to think of some way to thank her for her constant vigilance and support.   
______________________________________

  
The day before the Aesir were to depart, the royal naming ceremony was held. Helblindi and Elksa stood proudly before their people, their child swaddled in only the richest and purest furs between them. The populace cheered the birth of the heir. It had been centuries since Helblindi was born and the promise that the new heir, along with the ‘return’ of Loki and the Casket of Ancient Winters, brought hope to the Jotunn for the future.

  
The ceremony was brief, the assembled crowd quieting when Helblindi raised his hands. “It is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that my life-mate, Elksa, and I present to you, our people, our heir: Aksel, the Father of Peace. May he live up to his name and foster prosperity for the coming ages!” With that, a cheer rose from the crowd and the newly minted Aksel was raised on high by his parents, his wide ruby eyes taking in the expanse of humanity.

  
It was then that Loki felt something strange stir deep within him. It was like he had swallowed some butterflies. The light fluttering rose from between his hip bones, growing out of his pelvic bowl. He gasped, his hands moving to his tiny bump. Aiko noticed, ever the observant child, and looked at him concerned. Her worry washed away as she saw his smile, wide and open, his fangs displayed in a total expression of joy.

  
“What is it, father?” she asked above the roar of the crowd.

  
“They’re moving, Aiko! I can feel them moving!”  
_____________________________________

  
**Asgard**

  
Loki and Aiko stepped out of the Bifrost along with Asha and Fandral, a bit shocked to see the size of the waiting crowd. Fandral was immediately swept away by the rest of the Warriors Three and Sif, who continued to shoot dirty looks towards the returned Prince.

  
The remaining people focused on Loki. Their eyes were kind but he shifted uncomfortably all the same. Aiko gave his hand a squeeze, her hip checking his playfully. “Do it,” she whispered, grinning up at him with her mouth full of fangs.

  
He returned the pressure that her hand had given his and released his daughter’s grasp to pull on the side seams of his emerald tunic, pulling it taut against his rounded stomach. He grinned mischievously at his family, his fangs and eye reflecting the light from the surrounding gold room. Almost immediately, a pair of small hands hovered over his stomach and an excited but cautious face looked up into his eyes.

  
“Go for it Jane. We are in private, are we not?” He chuckled at her hesitancy but bit back a gasp as her hot skin covered the small, angular lump. Thor’s large hands quickly covered his wife’s as they stroked the area through the wool of the tunic. Soft sniffling filled the round chamber, causing Loki to look up from the hands that covered his mid-section to look at the faces. His family was exuberant, smiling and weeping at the same time, marveling in the life that he was carrying. Asha stood beside him, smiling happily to herself, a small glimpse of pride in her work drifted from the tilt of her head and twinkle in her eye. Aiko, bracelet removed and coffee-color completion restored, stood next to her adopted grandmother, her arms wrapped around the older woman’s waist.

  
The Warriors Three and Sif remained in the guard house of Asgard, giving the royal family their time for reconnection and discovery. Fandral and Volstagg looked genuinely happy for them. Whether if it was for Thor and Jane or if they were happy for Loki as well, he did not know, but he was glad that the two older men supported this endeavor, even more so now that he would not be able to hide it much longer. He would need powerful allies to help him protect the heirs, and Fandral and Volstagg were formidable in a fight. Hogun was his usual quiet and unexpressive self, his face grim as he met Loki’s gaze steadily. Slowly, the Vanir inclined his head, showing Loki his respect, making the Jotunn smile and return the gesture. Sif looked furious. She could no longer deny that Loki was indeed pregnant, and she refused to believe that the babies were not going to be harmed by the monster. Her continued hostility rolled off of her in waves, causing Loki to return his gaze to the hands that caressed his stomach.

  
The babies had begun moving, the fluttery motions feeling strange and bubbly. They would be too soft for the parents to feel, but Loki decided to mention them anyway. “They like having your hands there,” he said kindly. “I can feel them practically turning somersaults down there.” Jane’s tear filled eyes met his gaze.

  
“Yuh-you can feel them moving?” she asked, astounded.

  
“Yes, I felt them for the first time yesterday at His Majesty, Aksel Helblindison’s Naming Ceremony. It’s a bit weird, to be honest, like little bubbles popping under my skin in one or two contained locations.” He continued to talk to the King and Queen as he placed a hand on each of their shoulders. “You should talk to them, you know. They will be able to hear you and I’m sure they’re tired of hearing my scratchy voice.” He chuckled.

 

Jane leaned in close to his slightly bulkier stomach. “Babies, can you hear me? This is Mommy!”

  
Thor leaned in as well, “And Daddy! And we want you to know that we love you so very much.”

  
Jane cut in, “So please be good for your Uncle Loki. He deserves it since he’s being so wonderful for carrying you two for us.” She planted a kiss on the bump, the heat causing Loki to shiver.

  
“This is amazing,” breathed Thor. “Our children.” He wrapped Jane in his arms and pressed his head against his brother’s stomach. The act caused a bit of pressure and Loki, placing a cool blue hand on his brother’s head, gently whispered, “I hate to break this up, but, I really need to pee.”


	35. Chapter 35

**New York City - Avenger’s Tower**

  
Loki groaned audibly when he sat heavily on the pregnancy throne in Bruce’s maternity office. He had had to come alone today. His brother was busy going over the treaties he’d negotiated with Helblindi in Jotunnheim. Jane and Frigga were organizing the Name Day ceremony for Aiko. Asha deserved some time off, having frozen in Jotunnheim for a month, and Loki saw no need for her to accompany him to a routine check-up. His daughter was at school, convincing him that she would be much happier in a group tutoring environment with a few one on one lessons thrown in, as was befitting for a princess. He had agreed. Since her arrival a year ago, she had made no friends and had little to no interaction with Aesir close to her own age. Kissing her forehead as she excitedly bounded off to the school today had broken his heart and he prayed that she would be treated well by her peers and teachers, regardless of her parentage.

  
“That was a loud moan, Loki. Is everything alright?” Bruce looked at the Jotunn over his glasses as he collected yet another blood sample.

  
“Fine, fine, Doctor Banner,” he replied, trying to pass it off as nothing. “I am just starting to get a bit sore. My pelvis has been killing me and it’s transferred into my lower back.”

  
“That’s enough, thank you,” the man said, withdrawing the funnel and the vials of blood. “Unfortunately, the aches and pains are normal. Those babies are putting a lot of pressure on your body and ligaments and muscles are loosening up so they can grow and, ultimately, get out. I’ll see if I can do anything to help ease some of it for you before you go.”

  
Loki nodded wearily, rubbing his stomach as the babies moved energetically. “Is there anything you can do about getting them to stop moving so I can sleep?”

  
The man who housed the Hulk chuckled. “Nope. I can’t do anything about that. Have you tried singing? I’ve heard that that can be effective.” The mortal disappeared out the door to get the blood and urine samples processed. “I’ll be right back.”

  
Loki sat, closing his ruby eyes as he absently stroked the swell of his stomach. It was hard and still pretty angular, his belly button pointing outward at the highest point. The entire bump was small, still easily hidden by his tunics, though he doubted that it would remain so for long. He reflected back to Helblindi’s massive stomach and swollen and leaking breasts. He truly hoped that he would not get that large on either account. It just seemed miserable and, well, he did not particularly want to look like a strange blue woman with demonic horns. He sighed. He had wanted this, had wanted to give his brother something that was irreplaceable as if it could make up for all of his mistakes, all of his (purposely) failed attempts to murder him. It was supposed to be easy, none of these aches and pains, no weird dreams, no having to pee constantly. Now he was four months in and there was no turning back. And, honestly, in spite of all of the downsides and the symptoms and the changes that his body was going through (again), he kind of liked it. He felt like he was contributing something to his family, bringing them closer together through their mutual love for the two unborn babes he was carrying in his womb. He knew he was doing something for the realm, producing an heir and ridding the Nine of the possibility that he could end up sitting on the throne of Asgard. They did not want it, he did not want it, and so he had done something about it.

  
Bruce reentered the room and the two men slipped into their usual routine. Loki had gained a bit of weight, about two and a half pounds, which made the doctor happy. He was still underweight for someone of his body type and stage in pregnancy, but the babies checked out healthy and Loki wasn’t getting fat in places where he didn’t want to, so everyone was happy. Everything checked out well. Loki was healthy, as were the babies. Bruce even rubbed out a bit of Loki’s low back pain before the Jotunn made to leave.

  
“Loki.” The taller man turned back towards the doctor before exiting the penthouse. The doctor continued, “I have been thinking about the birth and I think that it would be a good idea if you moved here early in your third trimester, about seven and a half months or so. That way, I’ll be right there when you go into labor. You, um..., think about it, and let me know next month what you think, okay?”

  
“Of course, Bruce. I will think about it, though, as of now, I’m not entirely thrilled about living someplace where we have to make appointments around other people’s work schedules because we’ve had a few...misunderstandings. I see your point, though, and I will discuss it with Thor and Jane. Have a lovely month.”

  
“You too, Loki.”  
____________________________________

  
**Loki’s Rooms - Asgard**

  
The Jotunn was sitting on a chaise lounge on his balcony reading a book of Jotunn fairy tales aloud to his stomach when he heard the doors to his chambers open and shut with great force. “Aiko?” he called, shutting the book and turning towards the french doors. There was a resounding thud as a heavy weight was dropped and the sound of running footsteps.

  
His daughter emerged, her face unreadable through her loose hair which fell in sheets over her expression. She ran into his arms, throwing them around his neck while curling her legs underneath her. She was sobbing, her hot tears like lava flowing down his chest and getting soaked up by the fabric he wore. Reflexively, his arms wrapped around her small body, his rough palms rubbing her back.

  
“Shhhhh, shhhhh, my Child of Love,” he murmured lovingly. “Everything will be alright. You are were you belong, here in my arms, and I will never let you go if you do not want me to.” He waited for the crying to subside, continuously whispering soothing words, kissing the top of her head, stroking her back and hair.

  
Slowly, Aiko looked up at her father’s face, her bloodshot blue eyes meeting his concerned ruby pair. “Can you tell me what is wrong, Aiko? I promise I will listen quietly until you are done with the entire tale.”

  
She nodded, slowly, wiping her running nose on the hem of her dress before turning away from him. “Blue, could you braid my hair while you listen?” Before her request was complete, he was running his claws gently through the tangles of her wavy, dark brown hair, gently eliminating the snarls. It was like she was suddenly seven years old again, and, as a father who still saw her as his baby girl, it gave him a bit of joy to help combat his worry.

  
She sniffled again and began. “School was fine. I met a lot of people around my age. Most of them are the children of nobles or foreign dignitaries but some of them are from regular families. They were especially nice. The teachers were a bit wary of me at first, probably because I was not born Aesir, but I quickly proved to them that I was a really fast learner and that I knew more than most of my classmates in most of the subjects that I’m taking.”

  
Loki smiled, his brilliant girl was of course showing up the other students. He was so incredibly proud about her intellect and her knack for remembering nearly everything under the sun. She would be a powerful noblewoman and diplomat someday.

  
Aiko continued. “Then lunch came and no one would let me sit with them. When I asked why, they said it was because they didn’t want to ‘catch any strange Jotunn diseases.’ How ridiculous is that! I tried to joke about it, saying that my shots were up-to-date, and they just flat out refused because....because...of you.” She stopped, raising her arm to wipe away the tears that had started to flow again. “So I ate by myself, which is fine. I won’t be friends with people who don’t like you. Then, after school, I was riding Paradise back, taking that shortcut through the woods you showed me, and I was stopped by a group of my classmates. They surrounded Paradise and pulled me off of him and onto the ground. They pulled my braid out because it’s a filthy Jotunn braid and they dumped dirt on me, ruining my dress, and then they started poking me with sticks, saying that I was so unclean, no one would touch me. Well, Lady Sif taught me how to fight with a staff, so I grabbed one and began to beat them up. I guess I wasn’t paying attention because a group of them grabbed me from behind, and....Blue, it was like I was 13 again. I fought like Hel, I really did, except this time...” She paused, drawing a shaky breath. “This time, there was no Mr. Becker to stop them.”

  
Loki’s hand stopped their braiding and he inhaled sharply. He did not interrupt, but he could feel his seidr twitching to be used. He closed his eyes, praying that she wasn’t harmed, praying that she had not been raped.

  
Aiko took a deep breath. “They pulled my dress off and they threw my into the stream to ‘get clean’ and then I just exploded. I don’t know what happened or where it came from, but I was suddenly holding ice daggers, like yours, Blue. Just like yours and I stabbed him! They didn’t go in deep, but they cut him all the same and they ran, Blue, they ran calling me a freak and a Frost Giant, ‘just like my monster father.’ And now I’m confused and I don’t know what’s wrong with me, Blue.”

  
She turned to face him. “Am I a freak, Daddy?”


	36. Chapter 36

**Loki’s Rooms - Asgard**

  
Quickly, he pulled his daughter into his cold embrace, ignoring the twinge that he felt when her shoulder connected with one of his...newer acquisitions on his chest. “Oh, Aiko,” he murmured, holding her to him. “Never! You never have been and never will be a-a freak. You are a beautiful woman, so strong and so talented and so intelligent. Those boys -”

  
“And girls. There were girls there too.” She mumbled into his chest.

  
Loki inhaled sharply. Why would a woman watch as one of her compatriots was being handled as an object scorned and then disrespected so? “They did not think before taking action. You are Princess of Asgard! They will be judged by your uncle and they will be punished. You will never have to go to that school again. No one shall touch you in such a way without your permission. And no one will tell you that you are an aberration.” He gently kissed the top of her head, tears carving new lines into his face.

  
_They think she’s a monster because I am her father. If Thor and Jane had not been so kind to gift us each other, she would not be dishonored or treated as such. Oh, my Child of Love, what have I done to you?_

  
“Blue?” she sniffled. “You didn’t answer my question. Am I a freak?”

  
He tilted her head up so that she was forced to look into his loving, ruby eyes. “No, my darling, you are not.”

  
She swallowed, “Then how can I control the ice?” That question gave him pause. His little warrior had defended herself against her assailants using a Jotunn weapon when she was not Jotunn. It made no sense. She had no trace of Jotunn blood, no way of procuring the ice in the May warmth. Then, it hit him.

  
“Aiko, listen to me carefully, and do not get upset. Can you try to do that for me?” She nodded, her blue eyes filled with worry that spilled over in the form of tears.

  
“Do you know what is at the end of this month?” he asked quietly.

She nodded, “My Name Day.”

  
He smiled at her through closed lips. “Yes, yes my dear, you are correct. And for your last Name Day we were bound together through a Blood Ritual which made you Aesir. It was also around the same time that you wished upon your Grandmother’s gift, is it not?” His daughter nodded, dumbly, her lower lip quivering.

  
He reached a hand up to brush away her tears gently, the salty liquid freezing almost on contract. “Those two events did something, something that I don’t think any of us thought would happen.” He took a deep breath, the babies had begun to do backflips again. “It fulfilled your deepest desires, your true wish - to be _my_ daughter undeniably, no one else’s child. And as my daughter, you would have inherited some of my...abilities. Which would explain why you were able to call forth the ice in your time of need. Do you understand? We are of the same blood, you and I, and with that connection comes the acquisition of some Jotunn things, and for that, my Child of Love, I apologize profusely.”

  
They sat in the sun for a while, daughter curled into his chest, his arms encircling her quietly, letting his daughter take in the information that he had just revealed as he mulled it over himself. His perfect child, his savior from the depths of inhumanity, was not a monster, no matter what anyone else claimed. He just hoped that her teenaged ego would not bruise as easily as his own had. It had driven him to do horrific things and he vowed that Aiko would not share that fate.

  
“Blue,” she whispered, pulling him from his thoughts. She continued, her fingers tracing the Claws on his arm tenderly, “I do not want you to think that I find my new talent abhorrent, because I don’t. Nor do I want you to think that I am not proud to share anything with you because I love you, Blue, more than anything. You are my father and you always have been and you will be forever more. It hurts me so much to have people judge you and blame you and loath you for nothing more than your appearance.”

  
“I’m sure that it’s a bit more than that, darling,” he muttered, reflecting on his bad decisions that led to and from the Void.

  
“It doesn’t matter. It shouldn’t matter! You have paid for your misdeeds more than anyone, including myself, will ever know or understand. But...what concerns me is that I don’t know how the ice came to be or, more importantly, how to control it so no one I love gets hurt.”

  
He hummed in agreement, his daughter was practical to a fault. “I can teach you, of you would like, Aiko. We can start lessons tomorrow. How would that be?”

  
She beamed up at him, wiping the last remnants of her tears from her beautiful features, and stood, hugging him properly. “I love you, Blue.”

  
“I love you too, Aiko.”  
_____________________________________

  
**Frigga’s Sitting Room - Asgard**

  
“It is inexcusable!” Loki had tried to keep calm, tried not to have an outburst of rage. He was not really succeeding. Ice was sloughing off his hands, manifesting in the heat of his anger to defend, to protect, to fight. “She was stripped and dumped in freezing cold water!”

  
“And no one is denying that that is a heinous crime and that it should be dealt with accordingly!” bellowed the King who was pacing frantically through the room, his boots stomping on the polished marble and carpets. “But, Loki, _think_ about this! They were the children of nobles, of foreign ministers, of dignitaries! If I punish them severely, it could be seen as an act of war.” His voice softened. “I do not want a repeat of what happened today to happen to our beloved Aiko again, but I cannot risk bringing our country to war, not when we - you - have worked so hard for peace.”

  
Loki, seeing his brother’s reason through the thick haze of complete anger, sat abruptly, taking his horned head in his clawed hands. “What shall we do, my King? How can we prevent this from happening without causing a war?”

  
Thor sat beside his distressed sibling, carefully placing an arm around his slim, royal blue shoulders. “I know not. But something must be done to end this prejudice.” He smiled at his younger sibling. “I have an idea, though I’m not sure if you will approve.”


	37. Chapter 37

**Loki’s Rooms - Asgard**

  
_The cobbles and gold paving beneath his claws were slick with rain water, making it a bit difficult for his feet to find purchase. He knew it was stupid of him to be out alone at night, but this was Asgard, the golden city in the sky. He was Prince of the realm, the Chief Advisor to the King. A known sorcerer who had a reputation for not taking prisoners. No one in their right mind would bother him._

  
_Footsteps, heavily booted with hobnailed leather padded along in his wake. His sharp, ruby eyes picked up on rapidly moving shadows to his right. Quickly, he darted left, his pace greatly hampered by the barrel-sized belly he was holding in his hands. High walls, sheer and with nothing to grab onto rose before him and on either side. He had let himself get walked right into a dead-end._

  
_The footsteps drew nearer, echoing along the pavement, the sound bouncing off the smooth walls. He spun, braid flying, to face the people who followed him. A heavy club met him in the face, knocking his head back, breaking his nose, and sending him to the ground. He curled around his stomach, taking the brunt of the fall on his right side as his arms and legs covered the babies. Desperately, he threw a hand out willing his seidr to protect him, protect the unborn heirs. The defensive spells he had practiced for years became sucked into his vambraces, deemed potentially harmful by the All-Father’s magic. A wall of ice rose, covering him, only to be eliminated by the fire of twenty torches, melting his protection, his safety. He was screaming, calling for anyone to hear him. A large beefy hand threw a sack over his horned head and punched him in the mouth, causing his teeth to nearly sheer through his tongue. Then he felt his body being dragged by his strong, curving horns along the ground, scraping his skin mercilessly._

_He blacked out from the pain only to be reawakened with the splash of scalding hot water against his skin, coming from the darkness. He tried to scream, only to find he could not open his mouth, which was filled with a thick substance. He swallowed, eyebrows raised in terror, tasting his coppery blood. His shackled hands flew to his stomach, relieved to find the babies there, unharmed. An ugly cackling rang through the dark room, so vast that Loki could not see walls or ceiling or even his hands in front of his face. Carefully, he raised his hands away from his swollen stomach to trace his visage. His Jotunn ridges had been mutilated, his mouth was sown shut. His horns were snapped, no longer than three inches in length. His eyes were gone, empty holes greeting his probing fingers._  
__________________________________

  
Loki woke screaming, Aiko immediately by his side, hugging him, kissing his brow, smoothing and petting his hair.

  
“It was just a dream, Blue. Go back to sleep. It was just a dream. I’m here. I’ll protect you,” she whispered over and over again as he cried himself back to sleep.

  
**Aiko’s School - Asgard**

  
“Thor. This is the worst idea you have ever had. I _loathe_ this idea,” Loki muttered darkly, glaring with utter contempt at his brother as he pulled the hem of his tunic. Asha had let it out another quarter inch to accommodate his growing bump. At seventeen weeks, the babies were very active, constantly squirming and kicking away at his insides. His skin was beginning to thin as well, his purple veins were becoming more prominent over the little swell, the added inch and a half on his waist as well as on his bound breasts which ached almost constantly. He was thankful that, while he was showing, it was not yet noticeable. _Give it a few more weeks, then there will be no denying it._

  
His brother’s brilliant plan to teach the students respect for those that are different was in fact just that. Loki was going to teach them about Jotunn history and culture. Of course, Loki itched for his transformational seidr. If he had been able to access that magic, he’d have turned them all blue for a couple of days and see how they enjoyed the heat of the Asgardian climate, unbearably warm for him even in early May, and also to see how many of them would rather starve than eat raw meat. He would have enjoyed watching them suffer, his old flare for the dramatic and mischievous rushing back up to the surface, and yet, he knew that that would be unrealistic and it would achieve nothing. Teaching, while it might not do anything to stem their dislike of his true people or himself, it might teach them to respect and be wary of what they don’t know.

  
So here he was, standing outside of the door to the largest lecture hall in the building, listening to the grumbling of three hundred students with his brother, the King, for moral support. “Okay, Thor. Let’s just get it over with.”  
__________________________________

  
“Does anyone have any questions?” His query was greeted by silence. “Comments, concerns, anything at all?” He clasped his hands in front of him, his thumbs running over his Claws. The faces that looked back at him did not appear to have gotten anything out of his lecture at all. Even the teachers appeared to be dubious, many of them giving him looks that would have cut him to the core if they were daggers. Of course, unlike the children seated before him, they would have all remembered his brief but disastrous rule, his attempted genocide on Jotunnheim, his fall, his rise on Earth, his subsequent arrest and his ultimate banishment. He could not blame them if they were unhappy that he was back.

  
“Yeah. I have a question,” came a cocky male voice from the back of the room. The owner was a tall, athletic blonde with the beginnings of a beard on his cheeks. Without waiting for Loki to acknowledge his query, he stormed ahead saying, “If it’s so great there, why don’t you just go home? It’s not like any of us want you here any way.”

  
To the teachers’ credits, a few of them jumped up and silenced the boy and his companions who were laughing obnoxiously. Thor rose menacingly from his seat at the back of the room and made as if he were going to punch the child in his smug face. Loki raised his hands against the ruckus, saying, “It is a valid question! It is valid and I will answer it.”

  
Silence filled the hall as every head turned to the front of the room, every eye was fixed on the Jotunn runt who stood there, head erect and proud, his eyes open and honest. “I was raised, just like you, on the stories of the Frost Giants and their favorite midnight snack of poorly behaved children. So many of you forget that I was raised here, in Asgard. I sat in this room and listened to the most boring and ridiculous lectures. _I was Aesir_.”

  
He paused, noticing that his audience had become more enraptured as he discussed his personal life versus general knowledge about the Jotunn. “I learned about my true parentage only a quarter of a century ago, and quite by accident, I might add. If I had not been reckless or jealous of my brother, then I probably would have never discovered it. There were so many years that I spent denying it, even after this skin was forced upon me in my imprisonment almost 22 years ago. I would dread looking in the mirror to discover the pain of a new attribute, a new change to my familiar body, twisted and turned hideous. My body began to reflect the monster that I was internally. I became a things of nightmares, and it terrified me. Monsters have no redeeming qualities.”

  
He took a deep breath, knowing that the last part of his tale could change the tone of the room for better or ill. “Then, with the help of one very special soul, I began my path to self-acceptance. I tried to learn about my native people through valuable resources, not just woefully inaccurate Asgardian bedtime stories. Some of them were resources that I just shared with you today, detailing the brilliant history of the Jotunn and their continuous struggle to survive. They are a proud race who have made mistakes, but haven’t each and every one of our own races done that? Every realm has a history that they are not proud of. Who am I, a villain in my own right, to judge a race of people for the wrongs they have done in the past without knowing why they were committed **or** by judging their foreign and frightening appearance? I have had to make so many adjustments, so many changes through the years to accommodate my true self but, ultimately, I am happy about who I am, about what I’ve become. My real skin made me realize things about myself that I had tried to run and hide from for centuries. I have faced those fears and won. I have a family that loves me and that overlooks my form to see that what lies inside is the same as what lies inside of everyone: a beating heart that will bleed when wounded and a soul that will tear when stabbed. Because inside of my Jotunn body, I have an Aesir heart and an Aesir soul: I always have and I always will. So, to answer your question: _I am home. I am where I am loved and appreciated and **nothing** anyone says will change that_.”

  
His eyes leveled off at the blonde boy who had asked the question. Raising his eyebrows, he asked, “Did **that** answer your question?” The boy nodded dumbly, mulling over Loki’s answer in silence, a contemplative look on his face. “Any other questions?” His eyes shifted about the room, noticing that some of the students were shyly, even respectfully meeting his gaze.

  
A hand shot up on the left side. The Jotunn nodded in that direction. “Yes?”

  
“My Lord.” _Oh, wow! A title from someone besides the palace staff!_ “What is it like, being Jotunn, being so blatantly different?”

  
“Hmmm. That is an interesting question. I would like to start by saying that the Jotunn are not as different from the Aesir, or the Vanir, or the Midgardian, or any other people as you want them to be. They are warm-blooded bipeds capable of intelligence, speech, social structure and culture, and emotions - the same as everyone in this room. That being said, they are different and, as awful as this sounds, self-acceptance will only begin to develop when other’s have accepted you. I have always been blessed by having the All-Mother as my mother. She has supported and loved me, even when I certainly did not deserve it. When I was alone in my sentence, I was blessed to make a friend who did not seem to care what I looked like, just that I was there for her. She began my healing and continues to do so to this day.” He paused smiling lovingly at his daughter in the front row.

  
“After my return, and still to this day, I get very nervous and insecure around new people and new situations. Even if I knew you before my true self was revealed, I am afraid that I will be rejected because of it or something about it that you will find repulsive or monstrous. I am different, and thus I must do things differently in order to survive. Some of these things may be shocking and they have ruined friendships that I thought I would retain. I have a very strict diet due to the lack of resources on Jotunnheim, consisting primarily of raw meats. Today, believe it or not as you sit their bundled in your capes, ponchos and shawls, I am rather warm and a bit uncomfortable. I have a special bed, courtesy of my wonderful and loving family, so I can sleep comfortably without putting pressure on these -” He reached a hand up to stroke one of his elegant horns, smiling sardonically, “beauties. Utensils are torturous. I had to relearn how to do so many things because of my claws. That being said. I am also capable of doing so many other things due to my heritage. My eyes, as frightening as they may be, help me to see clearly in the dark. Even in a room with no light, I can perceive colors and even read the tiniest print. I have developed a rather lovely singing voice, giving a new definition to my old title of Silvertongue. I can climb practically any surface with naught but my claws and horned feet. I can make ice manifest itself in any shape I see fit.” He held up his hand, a frightened and shocked gasp rising from the assembled group. Instead of creating a weapon, as they thought he would, he grew a single storm in his palm, allowing it to manifest into a lily, which he offered to his daughter.

  
“You see, change can be for good or ill, but it will happen to everyone, though probably not to such a great degree. Just because I look different and can do different or new things that someone else cannot do, doesn’t mean that I am a monster or a lower life form. It just means that I’m blue. Any other questions?”

  
He raised his eyes to Thor, smiling, revealing his sharp fangs. His brother had actually had a good idea for once.


	38. Chapter 38

**Asgard**

  
“I don’t care how it is done. Just do it! I want him gone. I want him out of the King’s ear. He is poison, biding his time while he plants his seeds of ruin and destruction. How could he have changed, spending twenty years in a cell with modern amenities? I spit on that.” The voice from under the hood was low and menacing.

  
The rogue, missing teeth in his scruffy grin spoke with a cracking voice. “What would you have us do?” He gestured to his friend, who looked rougher than the spokesman, a hint of silver danced at his fingertips. The low-lives smiled slimily.

  
“I want you to kidnap him and hold him until he is no longer a threat. Reduce him to a shell, but do NOT, under any circumstances, kill him. He is hiding something, and I want to find out what it is.”  
______________________________________

  
**Frigga’s Rooms - Asgard**

  
Loki reclined comfortably on the chaise in his mother’s private solar, his brother and sister-in-law stroking his growing stomach, his tunic pulled up to just below his breast band. He had gained a whole pound in the past week, though it seemed like it appeared almost over night. Asha was having a difficult time keeping his bulge under wraps, but it was bringing such joy to Thor and Jane that he did not mind revealing it like he had tonight. They would sit for hours, talking to the babies, stroking his rounded belly lightly.

  
Loki gasped, receiving a relatively sharp kick just below his brother’s hand. Thor’s eyes went wide as he raised his head to meet his brother’s ruby eyes. “Did you feel that?” Loki asked, equally shocked that the babies were now perceptible to the outside world.

  
“Yes, yes I did!” His King’s deep voice rose in excitement. “Was that what I though it was?”

  
Loki beamed, “That, Brother, was a kick.” His sibling and his wife gasped, running their hands more tightly over the taut blue of his stomach. Their smiles widened when they were rewarded with several more kicks and punches from the tiny beings held below the purple-veined surface.

  
“Are they always this active?” Jane asked as her touch prompted another kick.

  
“Well, yes, but they get very excited when they are around their Mommy and Daddy. I swear one of them is a gymnast. It keeps turning summersaults daily. I’d be dizzy in their position!” He chuckled, enjoying his family.

  
Aiko and Frigga quietly slipped into the solar, returning from their nightly visit to the All-Father. Thor looked up, his face shifting quickly from elation to concern. “How is he?” he asked softly.

  
Frigga smiled sadly, “He is the same. No change since Christmas. It is likely that there will never be another change again, until...” Aiko put her hand on her grandmother’s arm comfortingly. The All-Mother, her stormy eyes beginning to fill with tears, quickly changed the subject. “How are our littlest family members doing tonight?”

  
“Very well, Mother!” Thor brightened considerably. “They are moving and we can feel them!”

  
Frigga smiled widely, “Well, it is about that time!” She walked to the chaise and kneeled beside it, placing her warm palm on Loki’s exposed stomach. “And how are you doing, my son?”

  
“As well as can be expected, Mother. They have become increasingly more active and have thus been keeping me up at night. My back aches and I think that my ankles, as shapely as they are, may be getting a bit swollen. Besides that, I am doing well.” He placed his cold blue hand over her pink one and moved it to one of the baby’s frantically moving foot. He watched her smile grow, pleased that he could bring her joy in her time of loss.

  
He looked up at his daughter, who had taken a seat on the arm of a nearby chair, used to feeling the kicks when she tried to soothe the babies to sleep so her father could rest. “How was school today, Aiko?” he asked brightly.

  
“It’s great! Everyone has been kinder to me in general. I even got an apology from the people who threw me in the stream. That made me happy. Apparently, you’ve helped to change some of there perceptions. We have to write reports of famous leaders of the Nine and six of my classmates want to write about a Jotunn leader. Of course, nearly half the class wanted to write about you,” she babbled along, enjoying being able to tell him about a good day at school among her peers.

  
Loki laughed loudly, his stomach shaking. “About _me?!_ Why how ridiculous!”

  
“Truly, Blue!” she nodded in a mockingly serious manner. “They were nearly knocking themselves and their desks over to get to the teacher first so that they could lay claim you. Daegal won, by the way. I think he wants an interview. You changed his life, or so he claims. He wants to meet tomorrow.”

 

Loki sighed over the cooing that was taking place over his midsection. “Tomorrow is your Name Day feast.”

  
“Yes, Blue, but that’s in the evening. You could meet with him in the morning and still have plenty of time to celebrate with the rest of us. Besides,” she tilted her head in a chiding manner, “Shouldn’t you be taking it a bit easier?”

  
“Nope,” he grinned back at his daughter, his fangs glinting in the candle light, blatantly ignoring Asha’s orders.  
_______________________________________

  
**Home of Daegal Aslaugson - Asgard**

  
Loki was greeted at the door by a footman dressed in rather ridiculous livery. His broad-brimmed hat, complete with floppy feather, obscured half of his face and was an abhorrent shade of orange. The obscene color was striped throughout the trousers and coat as well, clashing rather badly with the bright teal. _Who in their right mind would pick such colors?_ the Jotunn thought, the palate hurting his eyes.

  
“Good day, My Lord.” The footman bowed, gesturing him inside the doors of the sprawling urban mansion erected in a shining white marble and coated with platinum. “Sir will be waiting for you in the library. If you’d follow me?” The motley man turned and headed down a blindingly bright hallway towards a set of large ash doors. The smaller man swung the doors open to reveal a well-stocked library, with a couple of large oaken desks and floor to ceiling bookshelves on three of the four walls. The footman bowed again and firmly shut the doors. Loki turned to find two other figures in the room. One was similarly dressed in motley orange and teal while the other was the blonde boy from his lecture.

  
“Hello,” Loki said, a bit miffed by the boy’s lack of respect and lack of an offer for him to take a chair. “I believe that we have not been properly introduced. I am Prince Loki Laufeyson of Asgard and Jotunnheim. You must be Daegal Aslaugson, the classmate of my daughter.” Still no move to do anything about Loki being in front of him. _Odd,_ the Jotunn thought, _Aiko said that he nearly came to blows over spending more time with me._

  
Then it hit him. This was not Daegal. It was an illusion or a casting, very life-like, but definitely not real. His ruby eyes narrowed as he reached for his seidr, scanning the room for any signs of foul play. Nothing.

  
He felt a sharp pain in the side of his neck, thin and acute. His clawed hand scrambled up to pull the offending object out. It was a syringe with a vibranium needle, tough enough to pierce his skin. He felt his limbs become heavy, his eyelids drooping. He had been drugged, a sleeping draft no doubt. Quickly, he fashioned a message to Thor with his seidr, praying that his brother could interpret it and that it would not be intercepted, sending it out in a pulse from his essence and collapsing onto the carpet, his body landing on his left side and slowly curling around itself, protecting his precious cargo. With his final moments of lucidity, he pulsed some of his seidr inward, sealing his womb and his brother’s heirs from harm. Slowly, his eyes lost focus and faded to black.


	39. Chapter 39

**Asgard**

  
His head was pounding and he could not gather his bearings for the life of him. He tried to sit up, but quickly collapsed back down to his bruised and bleeding side. Instead of attempting to move his entire body, he ran his hands along his form, assessing it for any signs of damage. He first checked his stomach, the babies were not moving, but appeared to be alive. His seidr had protected them. He breathed a sigh of relief, meeting resistance at his mouth which ached like the rest of him.

  
His hands found that his tunic was gone, though his breast band was thankfully intact. His arms were covered in cuts, which he began to heal, his seidr sluggish, but not restricted. His legs were in the same boat as his arms, though one ankle appeared to be broken. Pulsing his seidr over it, he began the painful healing process.

  
Lastly, he examined his neck, the needle puncture wound was healed and, while his neck was sticky, it seemed to have suffered no harm. His horns were likewise intact, causing him to breathe another sigh of relief. He was again confused by his inability to move his mouth. His hands flew their of their own volition, scrapping across swollen skin, a sticky substance, and thread. Gently, he ran a finger over his lips. They were engorged to at least twice their normal size and hot to the touch. _Infection_. Lacing it’s way over and, ultimately, through his skin, was a rough thread. The sticky substance had to be blood. Reaching for his nearly exhausted seidr, Loki willed the thread to part, only to be met with a barrier charm. Someone had sewn his lips shut and had wanted them to remain that way. His nightmares were manifesting themselves.

  
“I see someone has finally woken up.” The voice was low, cruel and calculating, so very similar to the voice that once came out of his own mouth. The Jotunn’s ruby eyes, slowly wandered along the floor to find a pair of large, weather-worn boots with platinum buckles and studs. Drawing his eyes upward, he was met by brown leather encased legs followed by a brown leather great coat over an orange tunic with teal and platinum accents. The face was cruel. Brown eyes filled with loathing and utter hatred lay underneath dirty blonde curls and above a bulbous nose and an unkempt beard.

  
Loki recognized the man. He was Aslaug, an Aesir nobleman whom had not been pleased by Loki’s sudden reappearance and even less pleased about his new form. He had vehemently petitioned Thor to disown him and to banish him to Jotunnheim with ‘the rest of his scum.’ He had even gone so far as to attempt to raise the matter before the All-Father, claiming that beasts had no right in court and curs should be kept in the kennels.

  
It was later, after the King had unceremoniously dismissed the man from his council, that Loki learned about the man’s wife. She had been traveling between realms from her home in Vanaheim to return to her husband and young son when she had been grabbed from the Bifrost over Jotunnheim and mercilessly beaten and raped before she was beheaded by an ice blade. Her body was returned to Aslaug and Asgard by a contingent of warriors sent by Laufey claiming that the assailants had been taken care of using Jotunn justice. It had been nearly two hundred years ago, and yet Loki could not blame the man for holding a grudge. He had wanted heads to roll when Aiko was thrown into a freezing cold stream, he was not surprised that this man wanted him dead.

  
The nobleman spoke, squatting beside Loki’s head, yanking on one of his horns so that Loki had no other choice but to meet the man’s crazed eyes. The Jotunn quickly moved his hands to cover his stomach, causing the man’s gaze to flick there before returning to the younger man’s terrified ruby eyes. “I think you can guess why you have found yourself in this predicament, Monster?” His eyes glinted evilly. “You and your _kind_ stole my wife from me and now you try to steal my son? How dare you! He is the only thing I have left. THE ONLY THING I HAVE! And yet, I find him coming home with these ideas that your race is _people_! THAT YOUR RACE OF FILTH DESERVES TO LIVE! All from your filthy, lying, manipulating mouth. _Who gave you the right?_ **You** are **_nothing_**. A Jotunn runt cast out by your own to die and yet, here you sit, ‘loved’ and ‘cared for’ even though you are a loathsome creature that is no better than a dog. **A breeding BITCH** from the looks of things. An abhorrent, despicable creature carrying the same. A MUTATION capable of bearing grotesque young while it still plays ‘man.’ But now I know.... _I know_. And you and your...litter, will be disposed of accordingly where you won’t be able to talk your way out of this one - Silvertongue.” A slow and deviant smile that promised more horrors to come spread across the man’s lips. “So enjoy your last few hours, abomination, because that girl you deceived into being your child will be receiving your head for her Name Day tonight.”   
_______________________________________

  
**Great Hall - Asgard**

  
The buzzing in his ear would not go away. He tried rubbing it, sticking his finger down it, even cleaned it with a soft piece of cotton and yet the buzzing persisted. Thor shook his head vigorously back and forth, trying to rid himself of the awful racket and only succeeding in giving himself motion sickness.

  
“Thor? What’s wrong?” Frigga’s hand met his bulging bicep.

  
“It’s nothing, Mother. There is a strange buzzing in my ear that will not go away. It’s been rather persistent for the last four hours.” Frigga’s eyes narrowed and then widened.

  
“Come with me. NOW,” she whispered urgently, pulling her son along the gilded corridors and into her chambers. She did not pause until she had reached her private sitting room. She left Thor in a chair before rushing to gather her herbs and spell books.

  
“What is it, Mother? You’re making me a bit nervous,” Thor said warily.

  
“Someone is trying to get you a message and I am going to figure out who it is,” Frigga said as she mixed her powders vigorously. Thor scratched his head, confused, but not wanting to doubt his mother when it came to magical elements. The woman quickly turned and blew a fine silvery powder into his ear. He sneezed, the dust filling his nasal passage. The buzzing had stopped, making the room eerily silent. Then the voice started, faintly at first, but quickly rose in volume.

  
“Thor! THOR! Please get this! Please hear me! Help us, Thor! Save us, Brother! Help!”

  
“What was that?” Thor asked, the message fading to nothing.

  
Frigga looked concerned, worry draining her face of any color. “Thor?” she asked, “Where is Loki?”  
________________________________________

  
**Home of Daegal Aslaugson - Asgard**

  
The Warriors Three and the Lady Sif were growing impatient, as was their King. They had been standing in the foyer of the House of Aslaug for nearly forty-five minutes and the footman had not returned. Thor nervously stroked Mjölnir’s head, the runes rubbing against his calloused palm and fingers. “What is taking so long?” he muttered, anxiety flooding his usually fearless voice.

  
“I don’t know,” whispered Sif as she stood, arms crossed, observing every minute detail in the foyer. “But I certainly don’t like it.”

  
“Well,” began Fandral, trying to lighten the mood. “I’d say that this makes Aslaug and his son look _very_ guilty. Why else would they be taking this long to see us? You know -” he paused, thinking, “They’re probably moving Loki right now! We should move to intercept them!”

  
“Brilliant idea, Fandral,” said Volstagg. “I cannot wait any longer.” The Warriors Three began to move further into the mansion.

  
“Wait!” commanded Thor. “While I hate waiting here, I think that, if you are going to take a look around, you should at least have some sort of plan.” 

“A plan?! Oh, yes! Of course we have a plan,” Fandral stated. “Don’t get caught. Find Loki. Get out of here!”

  
“Arresting the culprits would also be a nice touch, don’t you think?” added Sif.

  
The sound of feet greeted their ears and a figure appeared. It was not the garishly clothed footman. Instead, it was a tall, blonde youth with the beginnings of a beard on his cheeks. The young man bowed low to the King before saying, “I am terribly sorry that you were kept waiting, my Liege.”

  
Thor glowered down at the boy, not willing to forgive the wait but also worried that the younger man might have heard their plans.

  
The blonde rose and continued, “ I am Daegal Aslaugson and I want to help you.”


	40. Chapter 40

**Home of Daegal Aslaugson - Asgard**

  
The Warriors Three quickly shifted their hands to their weapons. Thor’s hand stilled on Mjölnir’s handle. Sif glared openly at the boy, distrusting to a fault.

  
The King eyed the youth warily. He did not seem dangerous, but he remembered that this was the boy that had given his brother trouble at the school. He drew in a sharp breath and quietly asked, “Why...would _you_ want to do that?”

  
The boy mumbled something towards the floor, shuffling his feet. “Look at me when you address me,” Thor commanded, not wanting to waste precious time that he knew that was running out for his brother and his unborn children.

  
Daegal’s head snapped up, looking shamefaced. “I-I apologize, Your Majesty. I...I was raised to hate the Frost Giants, I mean the Jotunn, by my father. I never knew my mother, she was murdered before I was even weaned from her breast, but I was told, over and over, that they were beasts, monsters of ice. Then Princess Aiko started school, and I...I abused her be-because of her father being a monster just like the ones that my father hated. And I regret it more than anything. When Prince Loki came to speak with us - my whole outlook changed. He was so...so...real, so _Aesir_. I told my father about it - about how he was wrong and how I wanted him to meet Prince Loki and _see_ how he was not so different from us. And-and then I had the opportunity to do this project and I knew that it was my chance!”

  
The boy became more animated, almost angry as he continued, “This morning, when I was supposed to meet with Prince Loki, my father locked me in my room until an hour after your brother was to arrive. When I finally got out, he told me that he had never arrived, but I’m not stupid. Why else would I have been unable to get out? So I started snooping around and I think I know where my father is keeping the prince and I want to help you get him out.”  
_____________________________________

  
The men had come and gone four times since his ‘little chat’ with Aslaug. He had quickly realized that he needed to conserve his seidr to protect the babies and was ultimately glad that he had. On their second trip the two not-so-footmen had taken hot iron and repeatedly stabbed him in abdomen, burning through his icy skin as if it were butter as well as his stomach and intestines, but were met with a brick wall around his uterus.

  
His lips were raw, bleeding as the thread refused to give as he screamed. His legs were shattered, along with one arm and a collarbone. The brutes had savaged his face, beating it with hands, fists, bats, and, on their last visit, a mace. Even his ears were not untouched, a large hole piercing one lobe, the tip cut off of the other. He was surprised that his horns and eyes had yet to be touched, but there were more hours in the day.

  
His emerald ring had been removed and he had begun to feel exceedingly warm. He was more than a little uncomfortable as the sun’s harmful rays shifted through a high window as well as under the door. Every ray burned, he could feel his skin being singed where he lay. The heat was draining, but he could not spare any of his seidr because there were more important things than his skin and comfort. His one, unbroken arm cradled his small swell, the babies kicking and squirming with the anxiety, fear, and anger that he felt.

  
The battered Jotunn felt an immense sadness that threatened to overwhelm him. The two lives he had carried and nurtured for nearly four months, his brother’s children, would never experience the world. They would never understand the amazing ups and downs of life, the thrill of love and the pain of loss. They would never _live_. And it was slowly killing him inside. Loki did not know how much longer he would last but he would continue to fight until his last breath.

  
There was the sound of the door opening, somewhere behind him and the Jotunn steeled himself for the worst. The sound of the heavy, booted footsteps of the henchmen did not greet his savaged ears. Instead, a gasp so soft he was unsure if he had even heard it entered the stone chamber. The crunch of several feet greeted his consciousness and gentle hands hesitantly touched his body from the back. A pair of small feet, definitely female, came around to his front, his eyes, shifting up the body to see the shocked, teary eyes of Sif.

  
“Thor,” she breathed, her slim, calloused hands flying to her mouth as she diverted her gaze from his, focusing on someone behind him. “We need to get him out of here, but...I don’t know how to move him.” Her eyes met his again and, for the first time in years, Loki was thankful for Sif. He observed his seidr, acknowledging that he was safe, and shifted it away from the precious packages he carried and spread it along his body, stabilizing his broken bones and draining his reserve. He nodded to Sif, letting her know that he could be moved without causing further damage.

  
A pair of large, heavily booted feet echoed as they wound their way to stand in front of his face. Loki could not bring himself to look at Thor, closing his eyes against the pain of knitting bones. He shuddered as he felt large, tender hands cradle his broken head as a normally booming voice mutedly whispered, “It’s alright, Brother. You are safe now.” The voice grew a bit more commanding when it said, “Let’s move him. Gently. We need to move quickly and get him to a healer. Asha is standing by at the palace.”  
______________________________________

  
**Healer’s Wing - Asgard**

  
The first sensation that he became aware of was that of a small, warm hand that cradled his larger, cool one. His eyes slowly opened, squinting and blinking against the bright, harsh light above him.

  
“Blue?” a small voice echoed in the large, empty room. The hand squeezed his, asking for a response. He applied a tiny bit of pressure, reassuring his daughter. He slowly turned his head, meeting her wide, worried blue eyes. Her other hand reached up and brushed his hair off of his forehead and away from his horns, her heavenly orbs welling up with tears while her lips trembled. He wanted to reassure her, anything to make her feel better, but he could feel the rough touch of bandages encasing where his mouth should have been. Instead, he squeezed her hand a bit harder, and she came undone. Her head came to rest on his ridged chest, right above his bump. The action caused his heart to melt and the babies to kick. One of his hands found it’s way to the top of his child’s silky hair, unbound and wild, while the other lay on top of the miracles that his body still held.

  
The pair remained that way, Loki drifting back into the comforting realm of sleep.


	41. Chapter 41

**Healer’s Wing - Asgard**

  
When Loki woke again, he was surrounded by his family, Jane’s hand resting on the foot of one of her children, Thor standing protectively behind her. Frigga sat next to him, her warm touch caressing his cheek and worrying his Jotunn ridges and catching on the gauze wrapped firmly around his mouth, while Aiko had his other hand clutched in her warm grasp.

  
“Oh, Loki,” Frigga whispered, continuing her caressing. “You are a miracle. I will _never_ understand what you’ve gone through, what you’ve endured.” She smiled at him sadly.

  
Jane cut in, whispering a heartfelt and emotional, “Thank you.” Her tears fell rapidly as Loki blinked in response.

  
“Loki,” Thor’s deep baritone cutting in. “We need to talk about some things.” The Jotunn nodded, his horns thunking against the headboard and catching on the pillows that were propping him up. The King continued, “We have caught the...perpetrators. They will be brought to trial, when you are well. For now, they reside within the dungeons.” He paused, studying his brother’s face. “I do not want to know how you endured the torture that you were put through, much less how you had the strength to not only survive as long as you did but also to protect,” he swallowed. “To protect _my_ children. Anything that I do now will _never_ be enough to repay you. Ever. Especially not after what...”

  
Thor hesitated, his eyes, becoming stormy with pity, an overwhelming sadness, and an almost imperceptible amount of fear, could no longer meet his brother’s searching ruby orbs. “Your body, Brother, will never be the same. We could not do anything about your ears and, um...Some of your defining lines are deformed and scarred. But, I guess they are now telling about your bravery and resolve in a more perceptible way to the untrained and unaware eye.” Again, the ruler of Asgard paused, making eye contact with Jane who gave a small nod.

  
Gathering his courage, he continued, “Asha has been very diligent, as has Doctor Banner. They both believe that, due to the rapid healing that you gave yourself, you will probably walk but with a limp for the rest of your life.” Loki nodded, again thumping his horns on the back of the bed frame. He did not want to convey that this mutilation of his body deeply bothered him. The limp and scarring would age him beyond compare and, ultimately, it was a deep wound to his pride and vanity. _I am a monster, hideous to behold, what were a few more scars?_ he tried to reason with himself, not succeeding, but settling into a funk. The mutilation of a Jotunn’s ridges occurred when the bearer did not live up to the expectations of the lines. It was a shameful act, to have one’s story demolished, erased from the body. The Jotunn would never view him in the same light again, all respect for him would be lost.

  
“Loki,” Thor met his brother’s eyes again. “We have been unsuccessful at removing the stitches. Asha thinks that they can be removed, but it can only be done by a powerful sorcerer. She thinks that it will leave scarring, and, depending on who removes the thread, it could hamper your speech.” Loki’s eyes went wide with horror. His voice, as gruff as it had become, was one of his gifts. His talented tongue was known throughout the realms and the thought that he could potentially lose that defining characteristic was filling him with the despair that he had not felt since he had watched his Aesir form disappear from his reflection in the mirror of his Midgardian prison. Hot tears began to flow down his face as he raised his free hand to the bandage that covered his mouth. The gauze was thin, wrapped tightly around the orifice but not tightly enough to stop his fingers from feeling the stripes that crisscrossed his lips. They were cleaned, no longer bloody, the heat of infection had been eliminated and they had returned to their original size, the swelling having gone down dramatically.

  
“Loki,” Frigga held his face. “We will fix this. Together. I promise you that you will get well. Or as well as you can be.”  
______________________________________

  
Loki remained in the healer’s wing for a week, primarily due to his weakness from his spent seidr. He was thankful that his ring had been recovered, the heat of Asgard had receded and allowed him to reserve his returning magic. Through the week, he was fed through a tube, forced between the threads and lips. It was enough to keep him and the unborn babes alive, but it did not satisfy and Bruce, who had returned to Asgard for brief visits, looked worried at his lack of weight gain.

  
The Jotunn ventured from his bed for the first time on the afternoon of his third day. Thor held one of his arms while Aiko wrapped her arms about his waist, letting his other arm drape over her shoulders. While he leaned heavily on both of his Aesir supports, he stood tall and erect, not letting his recent trials manifest in his body language. Walking was painful, his left shin buckling under his weight and sending shooting pains up to his hip. His limp was very pronounced, a weakness born of an act of strength. By the final day of his stay in the ward, Loki was able to walk with only the help of a cane manifested using his Jotunn seidr and he walked away from the wing under his own power. It was a point of pride that, as such a broken man, he still had some semblance of control over his body.

  
Now he was standing in his bathroom, looking at his reflection, observing the changes just as he had on Midgard. He was horrified. Though any thought of being handsome had dissipated over twenty years ago, he could not understand how he had become so hideous and twisted. As Thor has stated, the Jotunn ridges of his Mantle, Heart, and Wings had been scared almost beyond recognition, as well as a set of his Bergelmir’s Tears which had taken the brunt of the mace, with newer, thin, pale blue lines crisscrossing the royal blue expanse and pulling at his ruby eye. That side of his face made him look like a stroke victim, the left side of his mouth in a permanent scowl. His abdomen was also heavily scarred, round burns of various sizes played across the once smooth and unmarred surface. He looked like a veteran, albeit one with small, sensitive breasts unbound and a noticeably swelled stomach, scarred and battle-weary. He looked old, tired, and worn, so much older than his 1,049 years. All sense of self-beauty long forgotten in the vessel that contained him, Loki could only appreciate that his body had, against all odds, managed to bring him this far in his relatively short and violence-filled life.

  
The man’s blood-red eyes wandered upward. His right ear tip was gone, leaving a slightly angled top to his ear, a clean cut diagonal line. His left ear still had a rather obnoxious hole in it, which had given him an idea. Willing his seidr, fully returned to him, to create a round, bullet-like shaped, he was soon holding a cylinder made of ice. Gently, he pushed the ice through the hole, expanding it’s rough and puckered edges. Loki would have smiled if it didn’t hurt so much. He kind of liked the new piercing.

  
The rough thread that bound his mouth was that horrific shade of orange, standing out brightly against the blue beneath it. Hesitantly, he touched it, inspecting the enchantment within before throwing a robe over his practically nude form and rushing, as quickly as he could manage, to see his mother. He knew how to open his mouth again. 


	42. Chapter 42

**Frigga’s Chambers - Asgard**

  
His scarred hands knocked lightly on the polished wood of his mother’s door, bowing his head, causing his lacquered horns to scrape the surface. He felt the surface beneath the protuberances give way and he raised his head to a scream from a terrified looking maid. His hand shot up, palms open as he backed away from the young woman wincing, his eyes wide with apology.

  
“Silja? Are you alright?” Frigga appeared behind the maid, a look of concern on her face. Noticing the open door, the All-Mother’s gaze fell on her youngest son, taking in his horrified and ashamed expression. “You are dismissed Silja. I would like to speak with my son.”

  
The maid turned away from the monster at the door, and curtsied to her mistress before running from the room, shaking. Frigga rushed forward and embraced the tall Jotunn in front of her murmuring, “Oh, Loki. It’s alright. It’s okay. You are still my son and I love you.” He gently extricated himself from her arms, not needing her sympathy as it threatened to unravel the little resolve and composure that he possessed. As a sign of appreciation, he let one of his thumbs trace his mother’s soft, pink cheek, before entering her chambers and heading for her writing desk, robe flapping unevenly as he leaned on the ice cane.

  
Frigga followed him, a pained expression playing across her face as she watched her youngest, once so beautiful and vibrant, reduced to a husk of his former glory. He looked and moved as if he were ancient, easily surpassing the years that she had walked the realms, beaten into submission by too many horrific experiences. His eyes, returned to her face as she tried to force a smile, were dark, weary and morose, yet she could see a tiny spark that still burned deep within their depths. It gave him an aura of great wisdom, as if he had witnessed Ragnarok and the rebirth of the worlds. It was a gaze so like her husband’s that she was slightly taken aback. How could it be that one so young had become so wise?

  
The Jotunn looked at her, his gaze calculating but hopeful as he tore a small piece of parchment with his talons and offered the page to her. His legs were shaking as he slowly and laboriously clicked towards her. She hurried to his side, sliding one of her strong arms around his waist and helped him into a chair. “Loki,” she chided as she brushed his loose hair off of his forehead and away from his horns. “You shouldn’t push yourself too hard. It could do more harm than good in the end.”

  
He did not respond, only flicking the scrap of paper up towards her, blocking his deformed face with his large hand. She took the piece, questioningly and read:

  
_It is a blood spell and cannot be undone by any that do not possess the blood of Aslaug. If my knowledge of this curse is correct, it must be given willingly. As Aslaug will not want this undone, you must find the boy, Daegal Aslaugson. He is my only hope._

  
The All-Mother’s eyes met the ruby orbs of her son, knowing that he was right. She had realized that his knowledge of seidr had surpassed her own centuries ago, fueled by his desire to better his brother at something, anything. Even if it was what the Aesir had deemed the ‘womanly’ act of magic. “I will do what I can, Loki,” she said, her voice hardening with resolve. “I will find the boy myself.”  
___________________________________

  
**Asgard**

  
Daegal slouched in the filthy muck of the alleyway, his back, smeared with dirt, reclined against the rough stone of the tavern. Why he had thought that leaving his home behind was a good idea was something that he continued to mull over in his mind. He would have been comfortable there, the estate officially his since his father’s fall from grace, but it would have reminded him of the man he loved and despised and, even more so, of the man that he, himself, had nearly become. No, he could not return. Sleeping with the pigs in the gutter was a far better fate for him, a self-inflicted punishment for his short-sightedness and his animosity that his father had bred for nearly two hundred years.

  
There was the soft crunch of gravel as well-shod feet passed him by, unaware that a nobleman would be slumped in such a disreputable part of the city, his riches turned to rags and coated in a thick layer of filth. He was used to it by now. He had been living this way for a week. The feet skirting him, giving him a wide berth as if they could catch some disease from him. It cut him deeply, feeling so unclean, so unwanted, an outcast. The boy had thought that he had understood Prince Loki when he had described his feeling of being alone and unloved. Now he truly knew what the Jotunn had experienced, what he was still experiencing and the thought of it gave the Aesir resolve. In this, his self-appointed exile, he became a kindred spirit of sorts, and his respect and awe of the man who had stood in front of such a hostile and uninviting crowd of students to disclose such personal information only grew.

  
Daegal was jerked from his thoughts by a hand touching his dirty shoulder. He flinched, unaccustomed to human contact, and looked up into a pair of kind, grey eyes. “Are you Daegal Aslaugson?” a soft, melodic voice asked, the woman’s face open and accepting. He nodded, worried about what would happen next. Instead of beating him, spitting on him, or, what felt even worse, cheering him, the woman offered him her hand saying, “I am Frigga, All-Mother, and I need your help.”

  
The youth quickly scrambled into a kneeling position, the rough cobbles and gravel biting into his knee and leg. “My Lady, please forgive my rudeness...” A gentle touch to his chin raised his unwashed head, causing him to rise.

  
“It is forgiven, Daegal.” She smiled again, a smile that could move realms. “I am in need of your assistance. Would you be willing to come with me?”

  
“Uh-Of course, My Lady. Anything for you,” he stuttered, instantly wondering what this being, the mightiest of women, could want with the son of a traitor.  
_________________________________

  
**Loki’s Chambers - Asgard**

  
The Jotunn sat in his favorite arm chair, a hand caressing his stomach the other holding on of his favorite books, a novel set in Jotunnheim. Aiko was seated across from him, her hands sketching feverishly, capturing her father in this private moment. She included everything, every new feature, except the stitches that marred his mouth, opting instead to add a soft, one-sided smirk that he typically displayed when he read.

  
A light knock interrupted the thoughts of both the father and daughter, causing their heads to swivel towards the door, fear flooding the Jotunn’s eyes. He had not ventured from his room since the previous morning when he had been greeted with a terrified scream. Aiko reached across the empty expanse and squeezed his hand before calling, “Enter!”

 

The black walnut doors opened to reveal the All-Mother, and a newly washed and simply clothed Daegal. “Hello Aiko. Loki,” the woman said lovingly. “I have brought the aid you requested.”

  
Loki’s cheeks raised slightly, his new version of a smile that didn’t pull too harshly on the threads. He observed the boy’s haggard appearance as well as his shocked expression. He realized that the youth did not know what his father had done. The Jotunn was instantly happy that he was wearing a tunic, not only because it hid his still unannounced pregnancy but also because it covered his newly scarred chest and abdomen from the young man’s horrified gaze.

  
“My Lord,” he breathed, inclining his head. “Princess.” His gaze flickered to his classmate. “I am so sorry...but...I know it’s not enough...I...” His voice failed him as his eyes fixated on the orange crisscrossing the blue lips of the royal Heir.

  
Aiko stood and went to him, her eyes hopeful. “There is something that we need you to do for us, Daegal.” She grabbed his hands, her face tipping upward toward his visage, radiating confidence. “Can you do it for us? Will you help?”

  
“Wuh-what do you need me to do?” the boy asked, confused but willing.

  
Aiko looked back towards her father, who was scribbling frantically on the corner of her sketchpad before offering it to her. She read the passage, her brow furrowing. She glanced back at her father, who gave a single nod, and then turned towards her classmate.

  
“Do you want to help my father?” she asked. “Truly and honestly.”

  
The young man’s eyes became wide and concerned, questioning. “What can I do? How can I help?” Loki gave his cheek raised smile and Frigga pulled some herbs and a needle out of a small pouch as she read her son’s note.

  
“Daegal, thank you for helping my son,” she said taking one of his hands. “I need to prick one of your fingers with this needle. Once it is bleeding, please trace the threads on the Prince’s lips. Can you do this?”

  
He nodded, swallowing while curling three of his fingers into his palm, leaving his pointer finger exposed. The All-Mother gently pressed the point into his flesh, drawing scarlet and turned the boy to face her youngest. Hesitantly, Daegal walked to the Jotunn, holding his bleeding hand and staring at it. He glanced up to the ruby eyes in front of him, radiating trust and comfort. The damaged creature in front of him was trying to offer him, the son of his tormentor, reassurance. Hands trembling, the young Aesir traced the gaudy orange threads. As his blood saturated the strings, they began to loosen and dissolve, leaving raw, bleeding punctures behind, but freeing the lips. He began to work fast, amazed that he was able to help this man who had changed his life.

  
Loki, feeling the magic on his lips lose it’s grip, raised a clawed hand and began to heal the punctures. The deep blue blood stopped as the skin knit back together, leaving faint light blue circles around his mouth. When the final thread dissolved, he grabbed the boy’s bleeding finger and healed him, sending a shimmer of his green seidr into the wound. “Thank you,” he rasped. “Thank you so much. How can I repay your kindness?”

  
His ruby orbs met the hazel eyes of the Aesir who leaned over him, searching the young man’s face. “How can I help you?” he whispered, his lips still tingling as his seidr continued to mend them. There was something the boy wanted, something that he wished with all his heart. It revealed itself in his open eyes.

  
The hazel eyes closed as the boy’s body crumpled into a kneel, his shoulders wracked with sobs. Loki looked up, surprised at his daughter, who patted the young man’s shoulder, and his mother, who was concocting a poultice for his newly freed and swollen lips. He laid a hand on the boy’s head, closing his eyes and willing some of his seidr into the body of the boy in front of him, willing it to make this man’s wish to become reality.

  
Daegal gasped, feeling the seidr take hold, and raised his eyes to the horned figure before him. Loki watched as those eyes began to change to a strange copper color, his skin paling and adopting a peculiar light blue coloring like glacial ice, faint, almost silvery ridges tracing along his body. The boy shivered as he felt the change overtaking him, his eyes, still fixed on Loki’s orbs wide with amazement and, to Loki’s surprise, gratitude. He raised an eyebrow at the young man but smiled, glad that he had done the right thing, offering this man a new future.

  
Transformation complete, Daegal slowly stood, studying his new smooth skin, any trace of beard gone, replaced by Jotunn ridges. The blonde hair on his head remained and his skin was not the royal blue of the true Jotunn, but he reflected the bloodlines of the Frost Giants.

  
“May I ask,” Loki grated, “What was it that you wished for? What you truly desired?”

  
The young man smiled, tracing the faint raised line on his arms, his copper eyes shyly meeting Loki’s ruby ones. “My Lord, I-I wished for...for a new life...a new start. One where I knew my mother and did not know the prejudice that my father had infected me with.” He smiled, his teeth slightly more pointed than previously. “And now I know the truth. My mother was not killed by the Jotunn - She _was_ Jotunn. And my father was ashamed. Now, thanks to you, My Lord, I can finally meet her, know her and her people - our people. I am no longer Daegal Aslaugson. I am Ren Nooneson, and for that, I thank you.” He bowed deeply to Loki and then to Aiko and the All-Mother.

  
The Jotunn smiled, gesturing to his mother. “Mother, could you bring this man to the Bifrost? He has a parent to meet.” The young half-Jotunn beamed, his past forgotten in the light of a bright future.  
__________________________________

  
**Great Hall - Asgard**

  
The trial was going slowly. It was Loki’s word against the world and the public bias. He had insisted on standing the first day, but quickly realized that his left leg would not be able to withstand the pressure of standing for hours on end nor would his aching pelvis and had requested a chair on the second. The King, the Warriors Three, and the Lady Sif all entered the trial as witnesses but their statements relied on the man who was now in Jotunnheim. During the fourth day of the trial, Loki looked out from his chair on Thor’s right side. His ruby eyes noticed a tall, distinguished, blue figure in the back. One large arm was draped over the smaller, lighter blue figure with blonde hair. Daegal, now Ren, had arrived with a Jotunn, only about seven and a half feet tall in stature, and Loki assumed that it was his mother.

  
Thanks to the return of the young man, the trial turned in Loki’s favor. The three men were convicted by the jury and the two thugs were sentenced to life in the dungeons of Asgard. Aslaug was stripped of his magic by the Gungnir wielding Frigga and was banished to Midgard. The peace that Loki felt was overwhelming and he beamed in the privacy of his mother’s sitting room, stroking his growing stomach.


	43. Chapter 43

**Loki’s Chambers - Asgard**

  
Jane’s head rested gently on Loki’s swelled abdomen, humming softly against the taut, scarred skin. Thor sat behind his wife, lazily rubbing her back. Aiko sat somewhere behind Loki, sketching furiously and moaning about the lack of a camera. As much as she enjoyed sketching these private moments, she would have loved to just click and be done. The small family was enjoying their closeness, something that they had taken for granted until a bit over a week ago. Now, the night before Loki’s 22 week check-up and ultrasound, they were reveling in their love for one another.

  
“Loki, Brother?” Thor’s resonant voice broke the silence, his eyes looking up at the other man’s face.

  
“Hmmmm?” Loki responded, his eyebrows raising, wondering what his brother might want.

  
“Tomorrow is a big day, isn’t it?”

  
The Jotunn nodded. “Yes, we’re confirming the babies’ genders and checking their heart rates, just making sure that everything is in order. And Banner is going to be running a cervical exam as well. You may want to leave for that one.” He chuckled softly.

  
The King nodded as Jane began to stroke his brother’s blue stomach. “Then, Brother, we need to announce the news soon.”

  
Jane felt Loki stiffen underneath her warily, before his gruff voice said, “As you wish, My King.” He paused exhaling a long, cool breath through his flared nostrils. “You are right, Thor. I mean, look at me.” He made a sweeping gesture to his battered and rounded body. His breast band was unable to truly flatten his growing and sensitive breasts, adding a strange rounding underneath his tunic. Since his captivity and week of being fed through a tube, he had gained nearly two pounds in about five days, eating nearly as much as Volstagg. Asha could not let his tunics out any more, the seams were literally held together by threads. He had begun to layer himself with his old leather coats, earning him strange looks. Why would a Jotunn, normally wearing so little, begin to wear a coat in June? Loki only hoped that the people might think that it was due to his recent traumatic experience, an attempt to appear Aesir.

  
Loki continued, “There is no way that I can hide that there is something rather...um...different about me. People will certainly think that I am pregnant, if not stating their opinion out loud in rumors.”

  
He took a shuddering breath. “Aslaug came to see me early in my...stay in his...home. He did not say very kind things. He called me a _breeding bitch_ , saying that I was a mutation carrying a litter of abominations. As truthful as the beginning part of that sentence is -” He held his hand up to silence his loving family. He understood that he was an incubator, a vessel due to his peculiar sexuality, harboring new life. He continued, “Your children, my niece and nephew, are the furthest things from abominations. That statement, knowing that he assumed I was carrying _my own_ children, cut me deeper than anything else. These...tiny lives, are beautiful and they are Aesir, not anything else.” A thin, blue finger wiped tears off his face. The Jotunn was unsure of when the offending liquid had started to fall, but he was used to the raging hormones by now and shook his head against the tightness in his throat.

  
He swallowed before slightly changing the topic. “At my last check-up with Bruce, he asked me to spend my final trimester on Midgard, where I will be where I need to be when...when the time comes. I have not given him an answer because I think that, as they are your children, you are my daughter, and you are my King and my Queen, you all deserve an input.”

  
He fell silent, meeting Thor’s eyes and feeling the stillness of Jane on his stomach. Her head raised to look at her husband while her arms wrapped protectively around his bulge. A silent conversation ensued, consisting of only eyebrow raises and small frowns. He could not see Aiko, but he heard the sound of her pencil being set down on the table.

  
Finally, Thor spoke, his voice conveying the gravity of the situation. “We, Jane and I, think that, at the beginning of July, the beginning of the third trimester, you should take our apartment in Avenger’s Tower and remain there until the babes are born. Not only will it keep you near to Doctor Banner, but it will also keep you and the little ones out of harms way. We would be very naive to think that Aslaug is the only Aesir who would want to harm you or our children.”

  
A warm, smooth hand touched his shoulder and his daughter’s signature braid popped into his peripheral vision. “Blue,” she murmured, her melodic voice filling his mutilated ears, “You should stay where you will be safe. I’ll be sure to visit on weekends, when I’m not in school and that you’re fed properly and that you have a nest bed. It’ll be like when I visited you in Alaska. It’ll be fun, right? And we’ll still have most of the summer together!” She threw her arms around his neck, kissing his scarred cheek.

  
Later that evening, Loki and Aiko were laying in his massive nest bed. He was singing softly to his bump, stroking it and tracing the burn scarring. Aiko was rubbing his back, following his ridges and causing him to have a drone-like purr underneath his undulating vocalizations. “Blue,” Aiko whispered. “I am so glad that you’ve come back to me.”

  
He stopped singing and turned over to face the young woman who had changed his life. Her beautiful face was so earnest, so open, so accepting, so loving. He caressed her cheek with his cool palm. “I will _always_ come back to you, my Child of Love. _You_ are my love, my life, Aiko. I will _never leave you._ Look at what we have endured, together. Ragnarok itself cannot tear us apart.” He kissed her brow, making her blush as her eyes slowly closed and she drifted off into sleep. “I love you so much, my Child of Love,” he whispered, still caressing his daughter’s beautiful face.


	44. Chapter 44

**New York City - Avenger’s Tower**

  
“How are you feeling, Loki?” Bruce asked, collecting his blood samples and labeling them before passing them out the door to a patiently waiting King and Queen of Asgard. “Jane? Could you get these tests started for me, please? Thank you.”

  
“Better than I was about two weeks ago,” came the Jotunn’s response, not needing to explain that response as he stepped onto the scale and watched the mortal doctor slide the little plastic squares back and forth.

  
“Wow, Loki. I am impressed,” the doctor murmured as he smiled up at the Jotunn. “You’ve gained eight and a half pounds since we started and you still have about three months left. Over halfway there!”

  
“It’s all baby...and breast,” the disgruntled man muttered, rubbing his tummy. The doctor smiled knowingly and nodded comfortingly as they continued their typical physical exam. Bruce poked and prodded him in a variety of uncomfortable places, including his undeniable breasts and over his protruding and scarred bump.

 

When the doctor settled between his elevated legs, he said, “Are you ready for your first cervical exam?”

  
“Do I have a choice?” the Jotunn joked back towards the mortal.

  
“Nope,” Bruce smiled back. “So, I’m going to do the typical exam.” He did not even pause as he talked, the expanding devise already inside him and the man’s gloved finger was rubbing and arousing him. “Ok, that looks all good. So, um, here we go. I’m going to shine this little light up there and check your cervix.” There was a faint click, causing a soft light to illuminate the stretched hospital gown between his legs. “It looks good, moist. There’s a good amount of mucus, which is great. It’s nice and small, no signs of expansion - which is good! No signs of early labor.” He withdrew the light and the expanding devise.

  
“Next, is everyone’s favorite part of the appointment.” The doctor opened the door as Loki replaced his loincloth and began to rewrap his breast band. Thor and Jane entered the room, hand in hand and completely giddy with delight. Bruce turned off the light and pulled the ultrasound machine next to the chair that his patient was seated in.

  
“Okay Loki, this is going to be a bit warm,” the man who housed the Hulk chuckled as he squirted the teal gel onto Loki’s rounded stomach. He began to apply pressure with the fancy wand, spreading the semi-solid and causing the Jotunn to gasp. Almost immediately, the sound of Loki’s steady heartbeat filled the small room.

  
The fainter, echoing heart rates of the babies soon followed. “I am going to measure both of the babies’ heart rates, so give me a second.” The wand wandered to the right side, illuminating baby number one and focusing on her heartbeat. The tiny limbs were comfortably curled, one hand tucked under her nose. “Is she...?” Jane began, jaw dropped in awe.

  
“Yes, baby number one is sucking it’s thumb,” Bruce chuckled, making notes on his clipboard. “Unfortunately, I still cannot confirm if this baby is a boy or a girl and I’m sure Loki would be extremely upset with me if I woke baby up just to take a peek. We can always check back in about six weeks and see if we can confirm.”

  
“I would certainly not mind waiting,” the Jotunn said. Baby number one was very active and he was always appreciative of the times that she slept.

  
“It is fine,” confirmed Thor. “You have already confirmed an heir and I would not mind a surprise.” He and Jane smiled at each other across Loki’s stomach.

  
“Alright, this baby looks great. Umbilical chord is free and away from the cervix and does not seem to be hampering or wrapped around baby number one. Strong heartbeat, measuring at the proper length, though towards the short end of the spectrum. That’s due to the fact that baby number one is not alone, so I’m not worried. Let’s find baby number two.”

  
The wand shifted to the left, pressing on Loki’s full bladder, before falling on the second bundle of joy. This one was also, mercifully, asleep. Unlike his sibling, he was sleeping spread eagle, facing the wand and taking up a majority of the womb. His tiny mouth was open, his package displayed proudly.

  
“Just like his father,” Loki muttered chuckling under his breath. Jane shot him a dark look before winking. She knew exactly what her brother-in-law was talking about.

  
Bruce began to speak again, making notes on his clipboard. “Baby number two is most definitely male. He’s not very shy about it either. He’s looking good, a tiny bit larger than his sibling and his heart rate is strong. They both are checking out great.” The doctor smiled broadly, snapped a few more pictures, and began to pack everything up. “So our next ultrasound will be in about six weeks, though I’d like to see you again in about two weeks, just to run a couple of check-ups.”

  
“Sure, I’m sure it can be arranged,” the Jotunn said, reasonably. “I’ll just have to okay it with my boss.” He chuckled as he wiped the warm goo off his stomach.

  
“Great!” Bruce said. “Also, Loki, the pounds should be coming fast and furious now. These babies are going to be growing quickly. I’m assuming that Asgard has been informed?”

  
“Um...” Loki began only to be cut off by his brother.

  
“We’re announcing it tomorrow evening. It would be a great honor for us if you would attend.”

  
“Thank you, for your invitation, Thor. I will try my best to be in attendance,” the doctor responded, smiling and gesturing the small family from the appointment room.   
___________________________________

  
**Loki’s Rooms - Asgard**

  
The figure in the mirror came across as almost alien to him. He had been so busy recently that he had not had the time to observe the terrifying changes his body had been forced to undergo. The horns, the eyes, the blue was all him, though he had never thought that he’d claim that at the beginning of his punishment. The Jotunn ridges, even those scarred beyond recognition, still told his story but it was a different tale than what he had ever thought it would be. He looked like an ancient warrior, every inch of his body battle-weary, his ice cane leaning up against the counter of the bathroom. He felt old, his rounded stomach making him look like he had been consuming way too much food and mead, like Volstagg, except worse. At least Volstagg didn’t have breasts.

  
“Blue?” A soft knock fell on his door. His daughter was checking up on him. “Do you need any help?”

  
He sighed, looking over at his Aesir ceremonial garb. He was positive that it would not fit, nor was he certain that he wanted it to. “I do not know what to wear,” he moaned. He leaned forward to rest his head in his hands, his claws wrapping around the base of his horns. As the bathroom door edged open, he exhaled slowly through his nose, a wave of self-loathing crashing over him.

  
“Can I help you, Blue?” A hot hand rested on his shoulder and began to rub his back, worrying the ridges. He didn’t respond, squeezing his eyes shut, reflecting on his newest degree of hideousness, allowing it to build and stew.

  
“Blue?” A pause, the rubbing stopped. “Dad?”

  
The last statement was whispered but it cut through his fog like a much needed lighthouse light. Aiko almost never addressed him as ‘Dad,’ instead calling him by the name that she had bestowed upon him as a five year old.

 

“Aiko,” he whispered, dropping a clawed hand on top of the smaller hand that resided on his counter. “Aiko, I can’t do this. I-I...I just can’t.”

  
“Why? You can do anything,” she murmured, questioning. She placed her chin on his shoulder and he could feel her gaze on his mace-marred cheek.

  
“Aiko, my Child of Love, you do not understand.” The Jotunn sighed, his cool breath curling against his chest. “You are such a blessing to my life and I do not deserve you or your love.” The hand that rested on hers flexed around it, ebony claws pricking her soft skin gently. “But this... _this._..Why? Why did I do this?”

  
“Because you are selfless and you are doing what will not only make your brother happy, but what will be wonderful for the realm.”

  
“YES! I KNOW!” he shouted, slamming his other hand down, losing his balance and falling to the marble floor of the room, his left leg giving out. Aiko shrieked, quickly kneeling beside the man that was her father. She reached out to help him sit up and was batted away, almost aggressively. “NO!” The rough yell sounded almost like a growl as it reverberated around the room.

  
The young woman backed away, fear in her eyes. She had never seen the Jotunn this way: volatile and dangerous, like a cornered animal. It terrified her, but she knew that it would pass and he would eventually need someone to talk to. The young woman settled back against the cool stone of the counter and waited for the pregnant man across from her to calm down.

  
Loki drew his limbs inward, his legs cradling his stomach, his forehead resting on his knees, hands again wrapped around his horns, tugging on the protrusions, relishing in the pull out from his skull. _I am a monster. Hideous. Heinous. A mutation. An abomination. I am no longer even recognizable to myself, much less anyone else. If I go out there, everyone will know. Everyone will hate me. Loath me. Why should I care? Why can’t I just be normal? Why am I not normal? I am a monster._ His dark thoughts continued to spiral out of control. His hatred permeating every inch of the bathroom, creating a thick blanket around him. Frost began to snake it’s way out from his fingers and palms, coating his horns, head, face, arms. As it wound down through his body and onto the bathroom wall and floor, he was slowly woken from his stupor.

  
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, stopping the icy pathways and allowing them to melt in the June heat. “I’m just struggling with all of this. I...I’m not even upset about muh-my pregnancy. It’s the only decision that I have made about my body that I’ve had control over. It’s just...so...hard. Every time I begin to be comfortable in my own skin, I become more demented, more twisted, more...terrifying. I am walking wounded, Aiko, and-and I am so young. I have thousands more years in this wrecked ruin of a form and now **_everyone_** will see me, know my secret, and they will either be mortified, despise me, or, worse, pity me. I can’t deal with this, Aiko. I just can’t.”

  
The young woman sat and listened, trying to understand his perspective. She could not see how he could not see the love and acceptance that came from his family, but she could sympathize with him. He had undergone so much change in such a short amount of time, his pride was constantly battered, his ego wounded beyond repair. Having no control was terrifying. Unable to form words, the young woman shifted her position so that she was sitting next to the Jotunn. She reached upwards and extricated his prominences from his hands and shifted his weight, allowing him to lean on her, her head cradled in the crook of his horns.   
____________________________________

  
About an hour later, Loki and Aiko were walking slowly out of his rooms. The Jotunn had somehow found a guise of external confidence though he was still extremely wary. Aiko was wearing her red gown, the gift from Frigga that she had worn for her art gallery opening. Loki was wearing his ceremonial loincloth and cape along with an emerald breast band. His daughter had helped to convince him of the strength and confidence that the outfit would display. By putting his wounds on display, he would show all of Asgard and the Nine that he was a warrior who was not to be trifled with. While the man himself was not convinced, he felt the love and support that his daughter was giving him and knew that he would survive this.

  
The two figures, their matching braids swaying with their uneven steps, wound their way through the abandoned gilded halls of Asgard, slowly making their way to the anti-chamber off the main hall. When they entered the small, dim, windowless room, they were greeted by a teary Frigga. The All-Mother ran and embraced the tiny family, pulling them into her warm embrace. “Oh, you both look so wonderful! Aiko, you are the treasure of Asgard. Scarlet is definitely your color. And, Loki...” She paused, her eyes sweeping over his brave choice in clothing. “You look so noble, my son.”

  
“Thank you, All-Mother,” said Aiko, blushing with the compliment.

  
“Yes, thank you, Mother,” Loki whispered, trying to bite back his insecurities as the woman stroked his ruined cheek.

  
At that moment, the expectant parents entered the room and made a beeline for the pregnant man, arms extended. Jane began to coo to his extended stomach, wrapping both of her arms around his bulk. Thor smiled broadly, clapping his brother on the shoulder, causing the shorter man to stagger, thankful for Aiko’s hold on his arm. “Are you ready, Brother?”

  
“Honestly?” the blue, ridged man asked. “No, but it’s got to happen. I cannot hide anymore.” This statement was met by a soft, kind smile from the King.

  
“Your Majesties.” A head poked into the door from the Grand Hall. “We are ready for you.” The door closed again.

  
Silence greeted the family as all eyes turned to face Loki. He closed his eyes, gathering his strength. He swallowed and nodded once, wrapping his ceremonial cloak around his body, concealing his form.

  
Aiko grabbed his arm, reassuring him and giving him extra support as the royal family processed through the door.

  
A boisterous cheer erupted when Thor and Jane entered the Grand Hall, closely followed by Frigga. The sound faltered and died when the final two members made their entrance. Only soft clapping from the back of the vast room continued. Loki knew that it was his brother, Helblindi, his life-mate Elksa and the Jotunn contingent and probably Bruce. He looked at the ceiling, forcing himself to hold his head high. He waited for the whispering to begin, the rumor mill churning out blatant lies or the sounds of pity to fill the room.

  
Instead, his brother’s booming voice filled the empty space and overwhelmed the listening public and dignitaries. “People of Asgard and Friends from the Nine Realms! Welcome!”

  
The pronouncement reenergized the room, cheering, applause, and whistling abounded with abandon. Thor held up his hands, silencing the room almost instantly. “We, the royal family, have gathered you here today to make a joyous announcement.” He paused smiling broadly before turning to his wife and taking her small hands in his larger ones. “We, the Queen Jane Foster and I, are expecting!”

  
The cacophony was overwhelming. It hurt Loki’s sensitive ears and set the babies thrashing, causing him to wince and gasp. Aiko noticed and looked at him questioningly. He gave her a small, reassuring smile, one of his fangs hanging over his lower lip. He was fine. He could do this. He had no other options.

  
Thor raised his arms and continued. “It is with greatest pride and deepest pleasure that we announce to you, our people and our friends, that we will be welcoming not one, but two heirs in late September.” That was greeted by cheering and applause but the murmuring had also started. There was no way that Jane could be five and half months pregnant with twins. She was too tiny to not appear to be enormous.

  
The King cut over the whispers, stating, “Twenty-one years ago, you were gathered here to receive similar news. News that shortly ended in tragedy and sadness. It was pronounced to us that my beloved wife could not bear our children. Then, over a year ago, we welcomed our beautiful Aiko into our family as our heir and daughter. She was perfect for us, everything we wanted in a child to call our own without having her be our blood. It was in that same week that my brother competed his sentence and returned to us. It was obvious that Aiko and Loki were meant to be together, and thus, Jane and I let our daughter go to allow my brother the happiness that he truly and justly deserved.”

  
The whispering had begun again, causing Loki to want to fidget under the scrutiny. Instead, he felt Aiko give his hand a reassuring squeeze.

  
“Please, please, dear people, allow me to continue.” The noise died almost instantly allowing his brother to continue. “What neither Jane nor I knew was that Loki brought with him the promise of new life through his people. The Jotunn are a truly miraculous people who live harsh lives in a realm of dusk and ice, and thus have many special attributes and talents. Including the ability for every one of their race to produce and bear life. My brother selflessly offered to bear our children and heirs, asking nothing in return. And thus, on this most precious of days, I must give all credit to Prince Loki Laufeyson and his unwavering love, the miracle of the Jotunn people and the amazing advances of Midgardian science, for this pronouncement of the heirs of Asgard!” The King finished, clapping a beefy hand on Loki’s shoulder, shifting the cape, revealing the Jotunn’s breast band and stomach, and was greeted by silence.

  
Suddenly, a loud cheer from the front row, echoed in the back from the Jotunn contingent (whom, Loki was sure, were glad to take some of the credit for this miracle), rose up. Lady Sif and the Warriors Three along with Asha and Doctor Banner were rallying the troops and showing not only Thor and their country, but also Loki their love and support. It made the Jotunn prince smile at the thought of their encouragement and reassurance. Even if all of the rest of Asgard and the Nine despised and abhorred him, he had won a small victory through the regaining of his former friends. The cheering was blended with whooping from the students at Aiko’s school, his lecture and openness allowing them to accept this impossible feat. Aiko squeezed his hand, fueling his hope for the future of Asgard, of Jotunnheim, and the Nine.

  
“Now, LET’S EAT!” bellowed Thor and the food appeared magically in front of the assembled crowds.  
_______________________________

  
**The All-Father’s Chambers - Asgard**

  
A single blue eye opened and a harsh, unused voice cried out, “Bring me the Jotunn!”


	45. Chapter 45

**The Great Hall - Asgard**

  
Loki sat, relatively unbothered, behind the royal table. The populace was rather joyous, pulling the happy parents hither and thither. Thor appeared almost larger than usual, his beaming face was everywhere and speaking jovially with everyone. Jane was radiant, almost glowing as if she was carrying the children within her. Even Aiko had left him at the top of the dais as she joined her classmates where she was laughing and truly being accepted. His heart swelled at the thought - his beloved daughter was accepted and well-loved, the one thing that every parent wanted. It made him smile to see her so buoyant, wishing that some of her glee would somehow find its way into him as he sat, reflecting on the crowd’s reaction to the King’s revelation. It was necessary, but he loathed that his darkest secret was out in the open. He literally had been laid bare, he had no more secrets.

  
The comfort that he would have found in his mother was not there. She had been called from the grand hall shortly after the feast had begun. His curiosity over her strange and abrupt disappearance played at the back of his mind. It was the lifeline that he was clinging to as he struggled to not wallow in his self-pity.

  
Shifting his focus off of himself, he found himself observing his beautiful daughter and her classmates. Ren had come with the Jotunn contingent, which made him smile warmly. The boy seemed to have adjusted well without losing any part of himself. He remained the center of attention among his peers, discussing his new life in Jotunnheim and the mother that he never thought he had. Suddenly, the young man’s face faltered as a loud voice cut into their lighthearted circle.

  
“You’re not like _him_ right? You’re still, like, a man?” Loki recognized the speaker as a male student who had laughed at Daegal’s question. Apparently, he had been successful but not that successful at explaining the importance of respect.

  
Ren colored, his skin turning a flushed purple, not unlike Aiko’s favorite color. “Baylor. That’s a rather rude question,” he responded under his blush.

  
“Yeah, but come on, _Ren_. I just want to know.” The impudent boy continued to push, the other students going silent and Loki’s heart going out to the new Jotunn.

  
The blonde and blue head shook. “No. I am not full Jotunn and am not intersex.” He hung his head, trying to avoid further questions.

  
The other man, however, was not done. “What about your _mother?_ ”

  
“She’s Jotunn,” came the other boy’s response, quiet and slightly ashamed.

  
Aiko, being the Aesir response to the attack on the Jotunn people, stepped in. “Why does it matter? Why _should_ it matter?” She paused, but not long enough for Baylor to answer her questions. “Never mind! I don’t even care what you think. The Jotunn have been around for thousands of years and have survived and thrived _because_ of their ability to produce and bear young. It doesn’t make them monstrous, it just makes them different. In fact, I envy them! How awesome would this be to be in a truly equal relationship with your partner?! To decide for yourself what you want to be identified as: male, female, neither, both. YOU, Baylor, are so closed minded that you cannot see the beauty in another being that is unlike yourself.” She paused again, breathing heavily in her anger. A slow mischievous smirk spread across her lips. “Besides. If my father was unable to carry the royal heirs, you would be bowing to _him_ if anything happened to His Majesty Thor. Have you thought about that?”

  
She looped her arm through Ren’s bare blue arm and spun him away from the group and onto the dance floor, her braid spinning widely. Loki smirked with pride. That was his girl.

  
He was startled from his watching by a harsh cough next to him. He turned his head, cocking an eyebrow at a hesitant page. “Muh-My Lord.”

  
“Yes?” Loki queried, wary of what the boy might want.

  
“My L-Lord. You have been r-requested. In-In the All-Father’s ch-chambers,” the youngling stammered.

  
“Thank you. I will be there as soon as I can.” He jealously watched the boy scamper away, weaving easily in and out of the crowd on his way back to the All-Father’s chambers. Loki collected himself, inhaling before placing his clawed hands on the smooth surface of the table. He exhaled slowly as he pushed downward into his rough palms, wincing as weight was applied into his left shin, resulting in a sharp, shooting pain that traveled up to his hip. He hissed, unable to contain the aching, not only in his bum leg but also in his pelvic bowl and lower back. He reached for his ice cane, wishing that he had even the smallest shred of dignity left, and slowly and precariously hobbled from the great hall.

  
The walk to the All-Father’s rooms took the Jotunn a long time. A ten minute walk stretched to nearly a half hour. It was punctuated by the clicking of his claws and the thud of his cane, uneven and resonating throughout the empty halls. He was exhausted when he had finally reached the massive carved doors of the All-Father’s chambers. He knocked on the door, right above the picture of the Tree of Life, among the stags and harts. The oak structure opened and his mother exited.

  
“Mother?” he asked, confused but not surprised to see the All-Mother leaving the room. The only reason she would have left the feast celebrating her grandchildren would be to be with her husband. “Is Fa-the All-Father alright?”

  
The woman met his eyes, a strange expression on her face. “Loki,” she said. “Your fath-Odin has woken. And he has been asking for you.”

  
Loki leaned away from the woman in front of him, wary of the statement. “H-he w-wants to see m-me?”

  
“Yes, he’s insisting. He will not go anywhere and refuses to speak with anyone until you’ve presented yourself to him.” She was emotionless, torn between her love for her husband and her love for her youngest son. The two had never truly gotten along and the fact that the younger was in such a vulnerable place at the moment made her incredibly nervous. She could sense the Prince’s current state of self-hatred and shame, and she knew that her husband, with his outward hatred of the Jotunn people, would tear him apart. “Please, Loki. Be strong and do not forget that I love you so, so very much.”

  
She reached her hand to the door knob then paused. Her empty hand stroked her son’s scarred cheek and turned the knob.  
_____________________________________

  
The All-Father’s chamber was lit with a golden glow, every orifice and crevice radiating the candlelight, hurting the Jotunn’s sensitive eyes. He slowly entered the chamber, taking in the massive, boat-shaped bed. The golden blanket of light had disintegrated and it’s resident was seated, reclining on his pillows, his leaner frame hidden under the pillows. The man looked ancient, almost as old as Loki felt. His eye was sunken but bright, his snowy beard and hair was unkempt, and his hands, resting on the golden quilts, were wrinkled and coated in age spots.

  
In spite of the frailty of the Aesir in front of him, Loki was incredibly self-conscious as he took a few stumbling steps into the room, his claws clacking, his reliance on the ice cane very prominent. Ashamed, he ducked his head and closed his ruby eyes. “All-Father. I am glad to see that you are well.”

  
Without opening his eyes or raising his head, he knew that the All-Father was scrutinizing him, tracing his demolished Jotunn ridges, his burn-scarred stomach, his swollen breast band, his drooping face. He felt so self-conscious under the gaze, his skin crawling under the examination. “Loki Laufeyson, please come closer. I wish to speak with you.”

  
The Jotunn’s eyes shot open, focusing on his hands that where wrapped around the top of his walking stick. He took a short inhale and shifted his weight, limping towards the man on the bed, the man who was his father, the man who had ignored him until now. Now, with his bulging stomach that carried the royal heirs. Now, with his aching pelvis, hips, back, breasts. Now, with his scars, his war wounds, and his bum leg. Now, when he was the furthest he had ever been from himself.

  
Thankfully, the chair beside the bed remained and he slowly lowered himself into it, huffing as his bulk connected with the seat and the back of the cushioned furniture. He extended his left leg, groaning as he shifted his weight, waking the babies, who promptly kicked him in the ribs. He closed his eyes against the sensation, wondering if there was a single part of him that did not hurt. “All-Father,” he stated, waiting for the man to begin as he shifted his gaze to the age spotted hands folded on the gold sheets.

  
A sigh greeted his ears, making him think that he had shamed the All-Father with his presence. He was a true monster, scarred and hideous to behold, capable of the unnatural, just as Odin had wanted it. He had hoped that, through his carrying of the Aesir children, the All-Father could find some redeeming quality in him but he did not truly cling to that hope.

  
“Loki.” It came out as a sigh, a hint of something hidden beneath the surface. Loki, for once in his life, could not determine what it was and he refused to look at the man’s face, embarrassed and ashamed. “You understand how the Odin-Sleep works: I can still see and hear everything that transpires within this realm. The last time we where here, you made a few confessions. You confessed your crimes and then you surprised me. You explained the reasoning behind everything that you have done, and continue to do, everything in your life was to escape from Thor’s shadow and to gain _my_ acceptance, my approval, my affection, and my love. And then you told me that you were grateful for the life that I granted you and the lessons that I taught you. You stated that you’d hoped that you would make me proud.”

  
Loki could feel the tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. As much as he hated to admit it, he still wanted this man’s approval. He _needed_ his acceptance to feel like a contributing member of Asgardian society. In spite of everything he had been through, every decision he had made, every incident of racism or sexism that he faced, and he still needed to hear something - anything - positive from this man.

  
The All-Father continued. “I want _you_ to know that I had such a different life planned for you. You were going to unite Asgard and Jotunnheim. You were not going to be facing this blatant racism or mob mentality. You would have been Aesir with a Jotunn soul. You were going to be proud of your race, your heritage. You were going to help me embrace mine.” Loki turned his head slightly, intrigued, but not shifting his gaze away from the age spots that coated the All-Father’s hands.

  
The man in the bed took a shuddering breath before continuing. “The reason, Loki, that I have been so hard on you, so negligent, so harsh and unyielding, so...unaccepting, is because of my own past. Everyone knows of my father, Bor. No one knows of my mother, Bestla. She was a Frost Giant and she abandoned me to be raised only by Bor. I was raised Aesir, and thus, grew up loathing half of my heritage and suppressing it. Like you, I was the only young man who possessed seidr and, unlike you, I did not embrace it until I met Frigga. The only interactions that I had with the Jotunn were in war where they are notoriously blood-thirsty and difficult to kill. Then I found you, and Bor’s ghost haunted me to take you in, almost like his regrets for not using me to unite our two races could be fixed through my actions with you. And I have failed you, Bor’s ghost, and myself, miserably. For that, I ask your forgiveness, even though I do not deserve it.”

  
Loki took in this new information, surprised that the All-Father had willingly given this revelation to him. It made so much sense. It explained his ingrown hatred for the Jotunn as a people and for Loki as an individual. “All-Father, I forgive you for your past actions. I only hope that you can forgive me for mine.”

  
“Loki Laufeyson.” An old, wrinkled hand reached over and grasped the ridged arm of the blue man. “I have seen what you have done this past year. You are truly a changed man. You have embraced your differences and have used them to advance our realm and others among the Nine. I...I am **proud** that you are a member of my family, my son’s court, of the Aesir and the Jotunn societies. You have grown so much as a member of the Nine, as a man. You have made such sacrifice - Sacrifice that only a true leader would be willing to make. I am so **proud** , so very _proud_.”

  
The hand that grasped his arm shook it gently and the Jotun could hear the tears in the voice of the older man. He could not resist the pull of the All-Father’s eye and slowly raised his ruby orbs to the weathered face of the man next to him. There were tears in the eyes of both men. A small, unsure smile played at the lips of both men as well, recognizing their new understanding of each other. Odin broke his gaze with Loki, instead turning it to the scarred and savaged body, playing over his ears and cheeks, and running down his arms and chest. He shifted, placing his other hand below the one that had found it’s way onto the Jotunn’s vambrace.

  
The tickling of seidr began to blossom on Loki’s arm, a golden glow that delved into his mixture of green Aesir and blue Jotunn seidr. The gold cuffs, permanent fixtures on his body for the last twenty-two years, broke and clattered to the floor. It unleashed something deep within him, making the Jotunn gasp as the amazing sensation flooded him. The damage inflicted upon his ravaged body began to slowly become engulfed in the mixed magic, leaving his skin unblemished, or nearly as unblemished as it could be. His original, unmarred Jotunn ridges stood out prominently against his royal blue skin again. The bullet of ice popped out of his ear and onto the floor, melting in the heat of the room. His aching back, pelvis, hips, and leg eased. He felt rejuvenated, he felt _young_ again. He felt _new_.

  
“Thank you,” Loki murmured.

  
“No, Loki. Thank you.”


	46. Chapter 46

**Loki’s Chambers - Asgard**

  
The Jotunn had been given much to think about. He also knew that apart from Aiko, no one would truly miss him at the feast. Instead, he had opted to return to the security of his chambers, wanting a cool bath and his comfortable nest to contemplate what he and the All-Father had discussed.

  
He made exceedingly good time, his pace uninhibited by an aching left leg and he was still small enough that he did not waddle under the weight of the children. His rooms, while unlit by anything but the moonlight, seemed bright to him. It seemed to represent his future, full of promise.

  
He caught his reflection in the mirror, his pre-Aslaug image had returned to him with the addition of the rounded stomach and small, perky breasts. The man observed his lower forearms for the first time. The ridges seemed to emulate the vambraces that had resided there for nearly a quarter of a century, round banding dominating the blue canvas. He smiled, his fangs flashing at him from the figure in the mirror. Closing his unsettling ruby orbs, the Jotunn began pulling at his freed seidr, feeling the power surge over his form, relishing in the change that overtook him.

  
Opening his eyes, his emerald eyes looked back at him, sparkling against his pale skin. Then he frowned. His Aesir body was not really his. It felt strangely uncomfortable, tight even. That and he was no longer a _he_. Instead, he was a rather curvy female, full lips and chesty. His horns still protruded from his forehead, making his newer lips pout. The prince released the charm, watching the cerulean engulf his frame once again. He was disappointed that his protuberances remained through the transformation. There had to be a way that he could hide them or eliminate them when he shifted, but that could be for another time. For now, as his gaze lingered on his Jotunn form, he was happy. For once in his life, he felt complete. He felt loved and he knew he was wanted. He had never thought that he would find peace with this blue, ridged form, much less be comfortable in it. As he looked over himself, from head to toe, and he realized that, in spite of his swelled state, he really _loved_ this body. It was miraculous. It had seen him through so much more than what his Aesir form would have been able to withstand.

  
He smiled at his reflection and began to remove his ceremonial clothing, folding it and replacing it on the counter to be laundered later. The Jotunn cradled his now smooth, unmarred stomach. “It’s like I’m holding a little world,” he chuckled at the little lives he was literally holding in his hands. The claws of his free hand left the top of his tummy and began to unwrap his braid. He magicked the water on, cool but not icy, and a faint, pine scented soap to pump into the sunken tub and eased himself in with a sigh, his ebony hair floating around his shoulders like a waterfall.   
____________________________________________

  
Aiko returned hours later, her feet sore from dancing, her mouth in a permanent state of smile. She had had a wonderful time that evening. She had spent time with her classmates outside of the classroom, making friends with a common Aesir girl named Asta as well as a Light Elf duchess named Liv.

  
The Asgardian princess could feel a blush flood her cheeks as she thought about Ren. She had hated him. He had literally stripped her bare on her first day of school. The action had manifested her Jotunn seidr: a gift from her father. He had been disrespectful and rude to her father and his race. And then, her Blue had defied the boy’s twisted logic and helped him to see the light. He had allowed Ren to become Ren. The half-Jotunn was a bit awkward, as if he was not quite in control of his new horned feet. He was very gentle as they danced, his claws lightly touching the back of her hand and her small, cinched waist. He had told her of his travels through Jotunnheim, of finding his mother, of the acceptance that he had received in Utgard and of his presentation to Helblindi and the court. He had made her laugh, cry, and, most importantly, smile.

  
She was not sure when her father had left. She had lost track of the time, learning more about her friends and twirling in Ren’s cool arms. Blue had been so upset earlier and now she regretted not spending her evening with him, comforting him.

  
She was pleasantly surprised to find him up. The french doors to the balcony were wide open, the emerald, chiffon curtains blowing in the light breeze. Her father’s back was to her, his horns catching the moonlight along with the ridges that decorated his body. He was dressed in a simple loincloth and breast band, his hair was long and flowing, unbraided, as if he had just woken up.

  
“Why are you still up Blue?” she asked cheerfully.

  
The figure that turned to face her was so different from the man that had sat next to her at the feast. He was buoyant, radiant in the soft moonlight. The scars, the war wounds earned through his torture, had been erased, as if that day had never happened. He looked so young and vibrant, something that she had never seen from her father in what seemed like years.

  
She gasped, her smile widening. “You look so handsome, Blue!” She launched herself into his arms and found herself wrapped securely in his strong arms. His skin was cold against her flushed arms and face, but something was missing. She stepped back, running her hands down his arms, stimulating his ridges, and found the newly revealed lines. “You have your seidr back.” It was a quiet statement holding no true emotion.

  
“Yes,” the Jotunn whispered, unsure. He backed away from his child, trying to gage her reaction. The girl’s face remained a blank neutral, as if she was still processing what he had just reveled. “Is this alright? Does this make you nervous? I won’t use it unless I need to, I promise you.”

  
He decided to continue, rushing into his explanation. “The All-Father gifted me the return of my seidr and helped to heal my wounds. I did not do anything to get it back. It was unlocked for me.” His daughter’s eyes sparkled, stars right in front of him.

  
“No, no Blue,” his daughter murmured, smiling again. “I was just surprised that the All-Father would be so contradictory. I know how you do not get along. And how could he do that while he’s sleeping?” She reached out and held his hands in hers, rubbing his Claws with her thumbs.

  
He smiled softly. “The reason I did not remain at the feast until the end was because he has awoken and he requested that he speak with me before my brother or anyone else.” He looked down at the woman that was his life and decided to share his burden with his daughter. The Jotunn took a deep breath and said, “He restored my seidr because he has seen the sacrifices that I have made and...” He swallowed, suddenly nervous. “He wants _me_ to succeed him as All-Father to the Nine.”

  
The shock and awe spread across Aiko’s face. “Wow,” the young woman breathed. “My father, the All-Father to the realms.” He accepted her hug, her arms barely meeting behind his back. “You are a pretty wonderful parent.”

 

“I have not accepted it yet,” he whispered. “But your support is truly wonderful. Thank you, my Child of Love.”

  
“I know you will make the right decision, Blue. And you know that you can talk to me about it...” She yawned, removing a hand to cover her delicate mouth, “But right now, I am exhausted.”

  
Her father chuckled softly, pulling his daughter close to his body, bending her around his protruding stomach. “Then let’s get you to bed.” His cool lips kissed the top of her head before he shooed her into the bathroom.


	47. Chapter 47

**The All-Father’s Chambers - Asgard**

  
Thor and Jane had been informed of the All-Father’s waking earlier the following morning and the little family had gathered in the private sitting room of Odin’s chambers for a family breakfast. The All-Father was jovial, much recovered from his long sleep. He spent the morning positively beaming about the impending heirs. He even placed his hand on Loki’s stomach to feel one of the babies kick. If anyone noticed the different rapport between the two men, it was not mentioned while at the breakfast table.

  
Quickly the conversation shifted from the forth coming new family members to the events the previous evening. “You arrived back to our rooms rather late, my dear daughter. Did you have a wonderful time?” Loki asked, fixing Aiko in his ruby gaze.

  
“I did, thank you,” she beamed, the memories rushing back to her. “I made a couple of friends. They’re pretty much my first friends ever and they are so **wonderful**! Liv is gorgeous and so smart, if not a bit shy. She’s a duchess on Alfheim and I’m kind of sad that she’s going home in a week for the summer, but I guess that gives me a reason to go to Alfheim and get to know the people there a bit better, right?”

  
She paused, but quickly continued. “One of my other new friends, Asta, is super outgoing but really sweet. She’s Aesir, so we can see each other a lot - when I’m not on Midgard with my dad, that is.” She sent Loki a winning smile, making him chuckle.

  
“That won’t happen for another month at least, Darling,” the Jotunn chortled. “I can’t believe you want to get rid of me so quickly!”

  
“It’s because of that boy, I’m sure,” Thor chimed in, his mouth full of pastry. Aiko’s face flushed with a soft, pink blush.

  
“What boy?” Loki said, an eyebrow cocked, his gaze piercing but with a hint of mischief.

  
“The one who stood at your trial. Oh, what was his name...the one that’s Jotunn,” Thor continued, earning him a sharp elbow in ribs from Jane and an ever-darkening shade of red on Aiko’s cheeks.

  
“Ren?” Loki said, his focus entirely on his daughter. He began to feel nervous, possessive, and a bit jealous that someone had caught Aiko’s eye. His daughter, obviously distressed by the subject, had turned a vibrant shade of scarlet, borderline purple.

  
“Maybe,” she mumbled. Her eyes flew to her uncle, burning into his still oblivious face. Loki considered the implications. She was still so young, and this was definitely a first crush. It would pass, a fleeting infatuation at the beginning of such a long and vibrant life.

  
To save his daughter from her further embracement, he cut in. “He’s a...nice fellow. His help to me was invaluable.”

  
Aiko’s eyes shifted to her father, wide with surprise as if she couldn’t understand why he was being supportive of her. “Whu-what?” she stammered, her mouth slightly parted.

  
“He’s a lovely young man. I am glad that the two of you have gotten over your differences and become friends.” Loki grasped her hand with his cool claws and sent his daughter a small side smile. He hoped that she could not read the worry in his eyes and on his mind.   
________________________________________

  
“All-Father?” Loki stood at the door to the balcony of the most powerful man in the Nine Realms. That man, looking much more alive than the previous evening, gestured the pregnant man to sit beside him, granting the Jotunn a private audience.

  
“Sit with me, Loki,” he said, looking out on the flourishing gardens of Frigga and the fields and orchards of Idunn. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

  
The Jotunn joined Odin, sitting with a huff as he eased his growing bulk onto a brown, quilted cushion reclining chair. His ruby eyes scanned the scene before him, amazed at the vastness that was visible from the All-Father’s chambers. He felt as if he could see the entire industry and wealth of the realm. The gardens and field, blooming in the June heat, added color to the gold landscape of the city. The Aesir bustled about, tinier than ants, bartering and haggling amongst themselves, toting their wares from the rooftops. The realm was thriving, a testament to his brother’s ability to rule effectively and wisely.

  
“It certainly is, All-Father,” he sighed, rubbing his smooth and rounded stomach, soothing the fidgeting infants that resided there. “That is why I must decline your generous offer. I am an agent of chaos. If I were to rule the realms, even my best intentions would only lead to ruin. I have grown to truly appreciate each of the Nine, though, honestly some more than others. I would never be able to forgive myself for burning them in my sore attempts to govern wisely.”

  
The gods sat together in silence, both wrapped in thought. The chirping birds floated through the flowers and trees, thoroughly distracting Loki as he stroked his abdomen, his claws lightly scratching the surface. Odin, however, remained engrossed in his contemplation, his face serious and pensive, his one eye staring into the distance, focused on the horizon.

  
After a time, the older man spoke slowly, tasting his words carefully. “Loki Laufeyson, the reasons you have named for rejecting my proposal are the reasons _why_ you should succeed me. You have confessed your doubts and your insecurities. You have also expressively stated your love of each realm. This trait does not reside in everyone, rather it is every kingdom for itself. My successor must want the best for every realm, every ruler, every inhabitant within this vast universe. More importantly, as one who walks with chaos, you are what is needed to bring about important changes in the realms. You will not allow them to stagnate. You have been the victim of so much hatred and violence, an overwhelming amount of abuse and discrimination over things that you cannot control because you are who you are. I naively contributed to the suppression of your true self and, since your return, you have suffered at my own hand repeatedly. **You and only you** would be able to bring about an age of equality - that much is clear.”

  
The Jotunn was stunned. He had, of course, thought about the power that he would wield as All-Father and the change and awareness that he could bring about throughout the realms. But he had also thought about his brother and the work that he had been doing as King of Asgard and substitute All-Father, during the Odin-Sleep. Rightly, the role of All-Father to the Nine was Thor’s and for once, he did not covet what his brother had or what he was promised. The pregnant man loved that he was able to support his brother, his King. To be the voice in his ear, the much needed council, the man behind the scenes, was a job that he had discovered that he really enjoyed.

  
“I understand your perspective, All-Father, but I cannot. Thor, my King and, more importantly, my brother, has proven to be a tremendous ruler of Asgard and he will be a miraculous All-Father when his time comes. I am content to remain as I am, the counselor of the King. From this position, I have been able to use my power to enact change slowly and with careful thought and preparation. Thor, in fact, has been almost as much of a force as I have, and I know that he will continue to support the rights of all peoples through my inspiration.” The Jotunn had fixed the elderly man within his ruby gaze. His face was calm and calculated but passionate. Odin realized that, no matter what he tried to do, the man in front of him, once so driven to rule something, _anything_ , to prove his worth, would not accept the mantle of All-Father.

  
“So be it,” he surrendered. “I know that the realms will be in good hands with my sons: the Warrior and the Scholar, balancing each other, as it has always been.”

  
The younger god smiled one-sidely at the acceptance that he had been given by the All-Father. It was something that he had longed for all his life and now, he felt fulfilled.


	48. Chapter 48

**New York City - Avenger’s Tower**

  
Loki had been feeling achy all over for what seemed like an eternity. At 24 weeks, he felt rotund. His tall frame had gained another four pounds, primarily in his bust region and on his ever-expanding middle, and the added weigh to his front was throwing off his sense of balance horrifically. He was barely sleeping for more than two consecutive hours at a time, plagued by frequent trips to the restroom and crazy dreams about singing dolphins and Thor dancing around in a tutu. After falling asleep in a council meeting for the third time in two weeks, he had recently started taking naps during the afternoons to combat his fatigue.

  
Keeping all of that in mind, and knowing that he had about thee months left, the Jotunn was arriving at Avengers Tower for the final time before he settled there semi-permanently through the birth of the babies. He was alone as Thor was busy in Niflheim on a peaceful, delegation trip, and Jane was running the realm in her husband’s absence. Normally, the task would have fallen to Loki, still technically the heir to the throne, but he was in no state to rule anything in his condition, his once rational whims ruled by an odd state of forgetful frustration and food, lots of food.

  
The man arrived on the landing pad outside of the penthouse and were instantly engulfed in the sweltering city heat, the sun radiating off of the glass windows of every building in sight. Despite his ring, the Jotunn was extremely uncomfortable, the heat pressing down on him. He briskly strode into the penthouse, thankful that he was still not waddling, and let the air conditioning wash over his tired limbs. His eyes closed and he rocked his head back, opening his arms as if embracing the cold air, inhaling deeply.

  
His peace was shattered by a blunt and unwelcoming, “Reindeer Games! What the HELL are you doing in _my penthouse!?_ ” Loki froze, halfway to the elevator, his skin prickling under the harsh glare of the mortal behind him. He lowered his arms and righted his head but refused to turn around.

  
“Hey, Blue Man Group! I’m talking to you!” A warm hand grabbed his bare cold shoulder roughly.

  
“ **Don’t** ,” Loki whispered, a warning creeping into his voice. Even as his exclamation was leaving his lips, the Jotunn was forcefully spun. The power behind the turn surprised the god and, due to his already shaky balance, he stumbled. His hand shot out and grabbed the first thing he could - the shorter man’s shoulder, his ebony claws digging into the shirt and breaking skin.

  
“What the _HELL?_!” Tony Stark yelped, his gaze diverted from Loki’s changed form and focused on his bleeding shoulder.

  
The Jotunn let go, balance regained, carefully and gently removing his now blood-tipped claws. “I apologize, Man of Iron,” he murmured. “I lost my balance and just grabbed onto the closest stable structure. I am sorry that it happened to be your shoulder.”

 

His ruby orbs took in the mortal, who was, in turn, taking in the taller god. Self-consciously, his Clawed hands flew to his stomach in a protective gesture that also covered his bosom. “Stark,” he said quietly, “I am...”

  
He was cut off by the self-centered mortal who exclaimed, “What _happened_ to you!?” Loki blinked, not sure if he wanted to answer the pushy mortal. “I mean, you look...but you’re a guy, right?...what happened...how?” The man’s voice became softer and more inquisitive as his mind raced around the answer that he kept returning to.

  
“I am Jotunn.”

  
“Yeah, but -”

  
“I don’t particularly wish to talk about...”

  
“What does that mean?! _Jotunn_. That means nothing to me!” The mortal’s frustration was showing through his usual cool exterior. Loki refused to put up with the man any more and turned back towards the elevator, wondering why Bruce hadn’t come to save him yet. A hard, warm hand grabbed his arm again, but this time did not turn him around again.

  
“Just tell me two things: first, what are you doing in my penthouse and second, are you...um...pregnant?” Tony’s curiosity was in every word he spoke. Loki sighed, knowing that he wasn’t going to get anywhere with the constructor of the tower hanging on his arm. Slowly, the Jotunn turned to face the mortal assailant.

  
He rolled his ruby eyes, trying to bite back his frustration. “As I have been trying to tell you, I am here to see Bruce. I have an appointment that you have made me late for. Afterwards, I will be looking at my brother’s apartment because, like it or not, I will be living there starting in July. As for your second query: you claim to be a smart man, you have already answered that question.”

  
“But who...?”

  
“Stark. I do not have the time. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” The Jotunn turned back to the elevator, feeling the mortal’s gaze on his breast band and abdominal region through his back. Gathering his dignity, all he could hear the mortal’s condescending question echoing in his head. He knew that the man’s final question was _who would want to have children with you?_ and it hurt him deeply. As odd and shocking as his body was, he had begun to feel less hideous in the past few weeks, mostly out of appreciation for the ability of this form to allow him to persevere. While he was not expecting or looking to find a life-mate, it cut him deeply to hear from another being that it was shocking that he could have someone who loved him that intimately. Someone who would desire to hold him close as they made love. He bit his lower lip as the elevator descended to the medical floor, willing himself not to cry.

  
As the doors dinged open, he was met warmly by Bruce and his insecurities about Stark’s rude comments disappeared to the back of his mind. “How are you doing, Loki?” the brown-eyed mortal asked, taking in his patient’s figure and smiling.

  
“As well as can be expected, Doctor Banner. And yourself?” the Jotunn smiled back, enjoying that this man accepted him in spite of what he looked like.

  
“Great, thank you. Let’s get started,” the doctor cut to the chase, funnel and pee cup in hand. Loki smirked, accepting the cup gratefully and scurrying to the bathroom to relieve his full bladder ( _surprise_ ).

  
Bruce waited for the Jotunn’s return, making notes on his clipboard. The doctor, while not well-versed in alien medicine, or really human medicine for that matter - outside of gynecology per Loki’s request - was pleased with how his patient had handled the changes that he had undergone since his failed attempt to win the Earth and then within the last five and a half months, how he had been deformed on his last visit and had returned in glowing, youthful form. Banner shook his head, his curls bouncing. He would never understand the Jotunn but he knew that he would never underestimate him again.

  
Loki returned, already running the glucose test in the adjacent lab, his hands rubbing his distended stomach and humming softly to the babies, his deep resonance soothing the squirming bundles of joy. The humming stopped as Loki latched onto his wrist, slicing into it with his fangs, before making his way over to the scale, bleeding wrist extended to Banner who caught the flow in the funnel, syphoning it into the vials. The god stood on the scale, sliding the little plastic squares back and forth, trying not to wince as the numbers crept higher. He had gained 11 pounds in the last six months. He understood that it was not a lot in comparison to what it could be and that it was mostly baby, but he still felt like a whale out of water.

  
The rest of the exam went the way it went the way it typically did. Bruce chatted nonchalantly, asking Loki about Aiko and her experiences at school. The Jotunn confided in his friend his insecurities about Aiko and Ren and how he was worried about his little girl, now a grow woman both by mortal and Aesir standards, literally leaving the nest. Bruce smiled his sympathy as he poked a prodded the man, unable to really contribute anything besides small gestures of understanding.

  
Before the man left for his home one last time, Bruce stood with him on the landing pad. “Loki,” the scientist smiled. “I just wanted to say that I am privileged to be with you on this journey. We’re in the home stretch, you and I, and I hope that our friendship can continue after this is past.”

  
The god beamed. “Yes, Bruce. I would like that very much. I have had so few people accept me as you have and...it’ll be nice to have a friend. I have had so few and I really like you, Doctor Banner. I enjoy your company.”

  
“Thanks. I can’t say that I’ve heard that very often.” The man awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, backing away from the launch pad. “I’ll get everything ready for your arrival in a couple of weeks. The apartment will be nice and cool - just the way you like it. The Avengers will be made aware.”

 

“Ehehehe. No worries. I already ran into the Man of Iron earlier. After he threw a few insults my way, I informed him that he had better get used to my ugly face because I am his new tower-mate.” The Jotunn was smiling, eyes sparkling with mischief.

  
Bruce rolled his eyes in response as he laughed. “I’m glad someone is going to put Tony in his place. He’s been getting rather unbearable lately - something about Fury telling him that he’s too old to suit-up.”

  
The Jotunn smiled a bit sadly. His long life made him forget how fleeting the life of a mortal truly was. Of course, he had not had any mortal companions until now. Bruce, made young by the monster that resided within him, was pushing sixty even if he looked forty, his greying hair and frown-lined face nearly the same as when they had first met over twenty years ago. If Stark was any indication, many of the Avengers that he had faced were more than a little grey and it made him contemplate mortality. The god began to mull over an idea, one that would need his brother and the All-Father’s approval, but he felt that it might be the proper gift for housing him and his pregnant state for the next three months.

  
A smirk began to form as Loki said, “Well, let him know that I may be compelled to do something about that. Conditionally.”


	49. Chapter 49

**Loki’s Chambers - Asgard**

  
“Did you pack everything? You’re pillow? How about your toothbrush?” Frigga was running around his chambers throwing random items into bags. “You might want this.” A rather unnecessary coat was thrown next to the Jotunn as he sat, observing his manic mother with his eyebrows raised.

  
“Mother, I have already told you, I’ve packed everything that I need for now. It’s only three months.” He stood slowly, exhaling as the babies shifted and a sharp pain settled into his lower back. “Besides, if I need anything, I can just have someone bring it to me. Asha will be with me, as will Aiko, at least until September. You’re only a Bifrost ride away. Or, worse comes to worse, I’m sure I could magic it to Midgard.”

  
“No, Loki! No more seidr!” Frigga chided cautiously. “You remember what happened a few days ago.”

  
He did, very clearly. He had been growing increasingly bored at a council meeting between Thor and the farmers of the outer reaches of Svartalfeheim. The desolate place, inhabited by the ex-slave race of Elves, was rather inhospitable and the farmers wanted to get aid from Asgard for nothing in return. Through helping the Elves, the Aesir would be depleting their own supplies greatly, too large a risk. Loki had suggested early on in the process that the Elves create a means of irrigation or raise animals, such as goats, that require little plant life to survive. He was ignored completely until the point was raised about a water source. Knowing that actions speak louder than words, Loki presented his idea. In trying to prove his point, he had accidentally turned a large urn into a rather unruly billy goat instead of a resource that would retain a level amount of water, no matter how much was poured out of it. Needless to say, the loss of the control of his seidr frightened him and he was ordered not to use it again until after the babies had arrived, Frigga even took the precaution of casting a containment spell to keep him from being tempted to use it.

  
He had, of course, already packed his necessaries: extra clothing, loincloths and breast bands; his favorite robe; his toiletries; the volume of Jotunn fairy tales as well as an Aesir collection of the same; the books about pregnancy and child birth as well as the Jotunn biology book; his scrying bowl, for his mother’s sake; and lastly, his body pillow. Aiko had promise that a nest bed would be waiting for him in Thor’s suite, along with an endless supply of his ‘hot’ chocolate, eggs, and cooked meats. He could think of nothing else that he would need, even if his mother was still tossing items onto the chair next to him.

  
“Mother,” he gently grabbed her as she hurried past, “I will be fine. Trust me. I have everything the babies and I might need. At least until the heirs decide to appear and by that time, you will be with me.” Her grey eyes, stormy with worry, met his steady ruby gaze. Finally, she nodded and sat beside her son, wrapping her arms around his tall frame and rubbing his back.

  
“I’m just so nervous, Loki. I-I feel as if I am losing you again. It’s like I’ll never see you again and twice is two times too many,” she murmured. He felt a hot droplet on his Rings, causing him to wind one of his long, ridged arms around the woman’s shoulders and lean his cheek on top of her head.

  
“You will never lose me again, Mother. I swear,” he whispered. “But I must do this. I am all but useless here and it will be better for me to be near Doctor Banner when my time comes.”

  
Frigga responded by snuggling closer, her heat radiating throughout his body like the sun. She sighed, relishing the closeness with her child, a gift given to her by her beloved husband, now bearing gifts for their son and their realm. He never ceased to surprise her. Even as a child, he was ever involved in schemes and mischief of all sorts, his fingers in so many pies. He was never intentionally cruel or mean, except maybe to Sif when he changed her hair from flaxen to brunette in a fit of rage, which is what made his fall so much more shocking to her. He would have been a wise king. In fact, with the exception of his tirade against his true species, he had been. Then he fell, out of her life, into the Void and leaving behind a gaping hole in her chest. Somehow, he had survived a year of unimaginable tortures until he was manipulated into his failed scheme to capture the Tesseract and rule Midgard. She would never forget his punishment, especially not that first year. The year of pain: physical and psychological for him, mental for her. She watched, unable to hold him, unable to say how much she loved him, and vowed that she would bring him back to her. Aiko, the beautiful and strong woman that she was, became his legacy and his saving grace, ultimately returning him to her and Asgard. She was sure that there were times that her son had wished that he had not won his freedom, that he had remained barred from the discrimination and the hatred he received daily and yet, he continued to persevere and make his own decisions, not only for his personal happiness, in fact, most of his decisions were quite selfless. No, he acted for the happiness of his family, and the advancement of Asgard and the Nine.

  
The All-Mother turned her head, causing him to raise his, the majestic spiraled horns glinting in the sunlight, and kissed him lightly on his lined cheek. “I am so proud to call you my son, Loki, and I love you so very much.”

  
He smiled and returned the kiss, placing it reverently on her cheek with his cool lips. “And I am so glad to have made such a wonderful mother proud. I love you too, and that is why I will always return.”  
______________________________________

  
The feast was a small affair. In fact, it wasn’t much of a feast at all. The royal family, along with Asha, Sif, and the Warriors Three were seated in Loki’s sitting room, drinking hot chocolate. Aiko, ever the bubbly hostess, had arranged a feast of her father’s favorites, most of which he would no longer be able to stomach once the Aesir babies were born. The small crowd was having a wonderful time as the youngest goddess sat to the side, sketching the gathering, the last her father would have in a while.

  
She smiled, enjoying the closeness of the welcoming atmosphere of the chamber. Even Odin had come, though he remained a bit aloof. Every now and again the hint of a tiny smile played on the All-Father’s lips and the young woman was sure that she was the only one who caught it. Loki was laughing, his ‘ehehehe’ ringing through the room along with his self-depreciating jokes. He had gained nearly 12 pounds and had begun to waddle, his duck imitations had sent Fandral over the edge, gripping his heaving sides as he rolled off the settee. Sif and Volstagg were recounting tales of past valor that usually involved a rather humorous plan devised and enacted by Loki that put Thor in rather compromising positions. Jane cackled with laughter at those stories, understanding why her husband had never relayed those tales to her. Thor held her in his rather large lap, chuckling, in spite of himself.

  
Aiko did not want the evening to end, knowing that her father would be leaving in the morning and she would be stuck in Asgard without him until the end of the week, when her tutor left for the summer. He looked so comfortable, surrounded by the people who accepted him, loved him, just the way he was: blue and horned and even round with child. She was sad that he would have to leave this place of comfort to go to Midgard, a place where he had suffered for twenty-one years, to live with the people who had stopped his destined-to-fail attempt to rule the planet. She knew that Bruce would be with him, and, while it was comforting, she knew that the meeker mortal would not be able to stop the alienation that her father would be subject to. The thought saddened her as her pencil began to shade the image on her sketchpad, a slight downturn to her arching lips. She just hoped that her father could survive the week before she arrived.  
____________________________________

  
Loki lay on his side, his strong arms wrapped around his body pillow, giving his abdomen support. He did not want to sleep, his nerves were weighing heavily on his mind. When it seemed as if he had just won respect and acceptance among some of the Aesir outside of his family, he was leaving to venture into a tower inhabited by people who despised him, with only one exception. He had seen the floor of the penthouse with its perfectly preserved Hulk-smashed Loki shape, and his confrontation with Stark was still present at the forefront of his mind.

  
“Hmm, Blue,” a soft voice murmured as warm hands began to rub his back along his Jotunn ridges. His deep, rumbling purr erupted deep within him, relaxing his racing mind and gently rocking the infants in his womb. “Please try to rest. I can hear your thoughts going at about a mile a minute.”

  
He sighed, snuggling his lined cheek into his body pillow. “I cannot hide anything from you, my Child of Love, can I?”

  
“No, you can’t,” his daughter whispered. “Nor should you feel as if you have to. Ever.” She kissed his exposed shoulder. “Now try to get a little sleep. We both know that you can be cranky if you don’t get your six hours. We don’t want you giving them the wrong impression tomorrow.”

  
The purr was interrupted by a soft chuckle as her father drifted off to sleep.  
____________________________________

  
**New York City - Avenger’s Tower**

  
Loki arrived early in the morning, partially because he could not make himself tell his daughter goodbye and partially because he was hoping that he could slip into the tower unnoticed. Aiko had stirred when he kissed her brow and re-tucked the blankets around her drowsing form, but she did not waken. While he had left Asgard without seeing a soul besides that of the Guardian, he was looking into a brightly lit penthouse. The mortals were waiting for him. He closed his ruby eyes, prayed for patience, and shouldered his bag and body pillow. He raised his head, trying to appear proud, unfazed, hiding his insecurities.

  
He waddled briskly along the curve of the platform, his claws clicking on the metal runway. The Jotunn paused before the glass doors, his eyes hooded by his cerulean lids, gathering his strength. Slowly, he grasped the doorknob with his clawed hand and turned the smooth surface. His tall form stepped into the bright lights of the penthouse and the tantalizing smell of scrambled eggs and buttered toast.

  
“I wasn’t expecting anyone to be awake,” the Jotunn stated, regarding the mortal before him, two plates of breakfast in hand.

  
“What kind of friend would I be if I wasn’t here to welcome you to your new home?” Brice smiled, offering the Jotunn a plate piled high with eggs, a slice of toast on the side. The blue man, his pregnancy cravings kicking in, set his belongs down and took the proffered plate.

  
“Thank you,” he whispered, still wondering how he had gained the friendship of this man.

  
“No need to thank me,” the doctor said, winding an arm around the taller man’s body. “Come on. We can sit here and eat, then get you checked into Hotel Asgard.” The two men ate in companionable silence, the sound of chewing and the scraping of utensils filled the large room.

  
_Doctor Banner_ , an mechanical voice made the Jotunn jump and drop his silverware with a loud clatter onto his china. _You told me to inform you when the Avengers began to rise. Agents Barton and Romanoff are awake._

  
“Thank you, Jarvis,” the mortal said. “I guess breakfast is over. Do you need anything else before I smuggle you downstairs?”

  
“Smuggle?” Loki asked. “They still don’t know I’m coming?” The smaller man looked rather sheepish. The Jotunn, while hurt that the man he trusted did not uphold his end of the bargain, gave the doctor a smile. He placed his cold hand on the mortal’s clothed shoulder and said, “It’s alright, Bruce. I forgive you. It would have been a daunting task, telling the Avengers that their gravest enemy would be living under their roof. I will remain here. If I am going to spend the next two and a half months sequestered in my brother’s rooms, I might as well make them aware of it.”

  
“You are a braver man than I am, facing Nat and Clint before either of them have had coffee,” Bruce said, returning the taller man’s gesture by placing his hand on the bare shoulder next to him.

  
“Or I’m just very, very stupid,” the god chuckled.

  
The elevator dinged, announcing the arrival of the first of the Avengers. “What. The. _HELL._ ”

  
Bruce and Loki turned to face the elevator doors, any trace of smiled slipping from their faces. There was something strange about the woman who had remained unchanged. It unsettled the Jotunn that he could not explain her youth. The red headed woman looked as deadly as she had twenty-five years ago in spite of her slightly changed physique. One hand flew protectively to her still flat abdomen ( _two, maybe three months,_ the Jotunn observed), the other was on the arm of her companion.

  
The man had not aged as well as his fellow agent. His dirty blond hair was grizzled and grey with spots of white punctuating his temples. His face was deeply lined and weather-worn. His blue eyes were cloudy - blinded by time and disease. “Nat? What is it?” His voice, though unsure, still housed that bravery that had so intrigued the Jotunn when they had first met, nearly a quarter of a century ago. It had been a year since he had last seen the man he had possessed and the archer had deteriorated to a shell during that time.

  
He turned to look at Bruce who mouthed, “Glaucoma.” Loki gave a short nod before returning his attention back to the pair in front of the elevator. “Hello Agent Romanoff, Agent Barton,” he said politely. “I hope this morning finds you feeling well.”

  
The blind archer’s eyebrows raised and his jaw dropped. The femme fatale continued to glare at him. “What are _you_ doing here?” she hissed, clutching Barton’s arm tighter.

  
Realizing that the countertop was hiding much of his body from the woman’s eyes, the Jotunn shifted out from behind it and into the open. “Because, Agent Romanoff,” he whispered, “We are alike, you and I. Congratulations.” He smiled, keeping his lips pulled tightly over his fangs. He watched the woman’s eyes widen infinitesimally. _Oops_.

  
“What does he mean, Nat? Why is he here?”

  
Trying to salvage the situation without sacrificing the Black Widow’s integrity, Loki quickly said, “Thor sent me here. Asgard has become too dangerous for me. There was an attack on my life and he thought I would be safe here. I apologize if this makes you uncomfortable, Agent Barton, Agent Romanoff. I am planning on remaining here until my brother comes for me. Because isn’t that what we do, Agent Romanoff? We go into hiding until it is safe for us to resurface?”

  
The woman eyed him warily, giving him the once over with her blue eyes before nodding her thanks. “Yes. I am...sorry to hear that,...Loki,” she muttered. “Would you like some breakfast, Clint?” She slowly walked the archer to the counter. “I’m sure that Loki was just leaving.”

  
The Jotunn was taken aback. There was still one original Avenger who did not know that he was there. “Yes,” he swallowed, “Of course.” He slowly grabbed his meager belongings and worked his way towards the elevator. After pushing the button, he turned to face the small mortal gathering. “I just want you to know that if you have need of me, my door is open. And please let the honorable Captain know that I am here and that I come in peace.”


	50. Chapter 50

**New York City - Avenger’s Tower**

  
Loki was not surprised when he was roused from his little power nap by a knock on the door to his brother’s suite. “Just a minute!” he called, slowly easing his bulk to a standing position, prompting a swift kick in the ribs from one of the babies. “Ooff!” he exhaled as he waddled through the vast apartment. It was constructed in a manner similar to Thor’s chambers in Asgard, full of scarlet drapery, blue upholstery, silver and maple. The Jotunn had settled into a guest room, not wanting to invade his brother’s privacy by moving into the master bedroom. There was a nursery, painted a cheerful yellow with two white cribs and two wooden rocking chairs. It made him smile to see the room stocked and prepared for the two lives that would inhabit it in just a short amount of time. His room, complete with adjoining bathroom and large nest bed, was situated right across from the nursery and was decorated with emerald accents. His slow, heavy steps took him through the decorated dining room, one wall full of a bright view of the city, the kitchen, stocked with Jotunn diet approved food, and into the spacious living room.

  
The knock persisted. “I’m coming, I’m coming,” he called, his hands pressed into the small of his back as his insides continued to be pummeled overzealously by the babies. He opened the door to reveal the Widow, her stance wary, her eyes nervous. “Hello, Agent Romanoff,” the Jotunn smiled, his fangs bared. “Welcome to my new home. Would you like to come in?” He gestured the woman in with a blue, ridged arm and an incline of his horned head.

  
The woman nodded and entered the living room and took a seat on the scarlet and blue printed couch. “Would you like some tea? Or maybe a hot chocolate?” Loki offered, heading to the kitchen to grab himself a mug of the luke-warm sugary beverage.

  
“Tea would be nice, thank you,” Natasha murmured, her focus on the coffee table in front of her and not on the man who had been her enemy. Undeterred, Loki played good host and quickly brought the drinks to where his guest sat.

  
“What brings you to my humble abode?” he asked, handing the red-headed mortal tea.

  
“Thank you,” she whispered, her eyes finally meeting his before averting away from the ruby depths. “For covering with Barton.”

  
“Of course,” he whispered comfortingly. “It’s his, isn’t it?”

  
Her head snapped to look at him and then went on the defensive. “Who would want you? And how is _this_ even possible?”

  
Loki stared into his cup of chocolate as he contemplated telling the woman. She would discover the truth eventually and he needed another ally, and, from the looks of things, so did she. “No one wants me in that way, Black Widow. Nor will anyone ever, I believe. I am no longer Aesir, and thus cannot be held to their standards of beauty, making me a monster in their eyes- even without my criminal past. And who would want a monster?” He smiled, self-depreciatively.

  
“What are you, if you are not Asgardian?” The Black Widow’s interest was peaked and she looked at the blue man, with his large stomach and his horned head.

  
Loki continued to stare into his mug. “I am Jotunn. A Frost Giant of Jotunnheim, stolen from my homeland as a babe after I was left to die due to my...peculiarities.” Her questioning eyes caused him to elaborate. “My stunted stature, my hair, my...horns.” His ruby gaze flicked to the Russian’s impassive face.

  
“So, you see, I am not desirable among my own kind either. I came to be in this state,” he gestured to his stomach, “As a gift to my brother and sister-in-law. Jane is not capable of carrying children of her own and, due to my true nature, I am. The children I am carrying belong to Thor and Jane. Bruce used artificial insemination to impregnate me with the royal heirs in January. Due to the fact that none of the Aesir healers will even look at me, and Bruce has been so helpful, I am birthing the babies here in September.” His gaze had found it’s way back to the rich brown depths of the cup he clasped in his hands.

  
The pair sat quietly, nursing their hot, or in Loki’s case, luke-warm beverages. The Jotunn was certain that he would be blushing from mortification if it was physically possible. He was terrified that he had revealed so much to this woman, who had her own dark past, and this silence, awkward as it was, was slowly killing him. Just as he tried to disappear into the cushions of the couch, the woman spoke.

  
“Yes,” she whispered. Loki turned his head, his ruby eyes questioning. The red-head sighed. “Yes, the baby is Clint’s.”

  
Loki quietly whispered, “And you haven’t told him.” The woman nodded, tears pricking at her eyes. “I am so sorry that I almost let your secret out,” he apologized, feeling awful.

  
Natasha wiped her eyes on her napkin. “No, no. It’s fine. I need to tell him...but...but, I’m scared.” She sniffed. “I’m scared he won’t want it, won’t want me. He...he’s changed so much in the last few months be-because of-of...”

  
“The glaucoma. I know,” Loki whispered, his full attention focused on the crying assassin seated beside him. Hesitantly, he looped his left arm around her shaking shoulders. She flinched but did not pull away. “I understand, Natasha. But I also know that Barton loves you. It’s plain to see. It’s something that I have known for over twenty years, and, in fact, I have rather begrudged you for it. I also know that a child could be what he needs because a child that is the product of such pure and unadulterated love could not bring anything but happiness. Think about it, but my advice is to tell him. You only live once and you do not want to live with regret. That, and Stark has a rather large mouth. He’ll spill it callously as soon as you start to show.”

  
The super spy laughed, still crying, and smiled at Loki. “Thank you,” she said genuinely. “I-I am glad you’re here.”

  
“No, you’re just glad that I can give you all the dirty little secrets of the next seven months of your life,” he laughed, squeezing her shoulders gently as she continued to laugh and cry simultaneously.

  
“Damn hormones,” she muttered, wiping her eyes furiously, her mascara running down her cheeks.

  
“It will get better - eventually,” the pregnant man said, still beaming. _I may have just befriended the Black Widow_ , he thought. _What a curious world we live in._  
_____________________________________  
The sharp knock at the door caused the pair to jump. The abrupt opening of the door that promptly followed was a shock. The opened door revealed Natasha’s hands pressed to Loki’s cold stomach feeling the gentle pushes from the infants as well as the not so subtle kicks. Her eyes were wide as they flew to the figure framed within the door jam. Loki’s hands left the woman’s arms and dropped to cover the expanse of his stomach.

  
“Would someone like to explain what is going on here?”

  
Steve Rogers, the pinnacle of the American ideals, stood, arms crossed over his defined pectorals that rivaled Thor’s, a look of absolute authority written across his handsome face. He was dressed in his signature vintage but his intimidating presence still permeated the room, causing Loki to cower under his scrutiny. The Black Widow stood rapidly, spinning to face the man in the doorway.

  
“Steve...” she began, unable to continue.

  
Loki slowly rose to his horned feet, a hand assisting him from the arm of the couch while the other supported his growing belly. “Would you like to come in, Captain Rogers? Could I interest you in a beverage? I have tea, hot chocolate, water.”

  
The heroic, high and mighty expression from the soldier’s face slipped. He stammered, “Wuh-whuh-What?”

  
“Please,” Loki said cordially, “Come in.” He made a welcoming, sweeping gesture to the living room.

  
Remembering his fine, American upbringing and manners, the blonde entered the room and shut the door firmly behind him. “Uh, yes. Thank you...Loki.”

  
He took a few hesitant steps into the sitting area before recommencing with the formalities. “This is a nice place you’ve got here.”

  
“You do not need to continue with this ridiculousness, Captain. Come in, have a seat. I am going to refill the kettle and get myself another cup of chocolate. Gotta love cravings, right Captain?” He grinned, flashing all of his fangs, and made his way to the kitchen. The bustling and clanking about in the kitchen persisted for only a few minutes before the Jotunn made his way back into the sitting room, tray loaded with mugs, a teapot, rolls and cheese.

  
The host set the tray down on the coffee table and eased back onto the couch beside Natasha. The super soldier had taken an armchair and looked like he was sitting on pins and needles.

  
“I know that they may look frightening, but I promise that I don’t bite.” Loki smirked, his fangs catching the light from the sun streaming in through the wall of windows. The soldier flinched slightly, not relaxing his posture in the slightest. Steve’s blues eyes searched the Jotunn’s face, asking the questions that the man did not dare voice aloud, his nobleness outweighing his confusion and insecurities.

  
The horned man sighed, taking a sip from his cup of luke-warm chocolate, and decided to tell his tale one last time. “I’m sure you have many questions for me, Captain, so I will cut to the chase, as it were. I will be residing here, in my brother’s apartment, for the next two and a half months, approximately. I am terribly sorry if this makes you uncomfortable, and I promise to remain as out of sight-out of mind as you would like, but the fact is that I cannot return to Asgard until my task has been completed. You may have noticed my current state. To put it plainly, I am twenty-six weeks pregnant with not one but two of my brother’s children and heirs. I am acting as an incubator out of love and not out of incest. Doctor Banner, my...for lack of a better title, obstetrician and gynecologist, and a dear friend, is helping Thor and my barren sister-in-law have the child that they so desperately want. He artificially inseminated me with embryos created from the union of my King and Queen and I am fulfilling my duty. It was decided long ago that the babies would be birthed here, on Midgard with Doctor Banner, and then I was viciously attacked, solidifying this plan. So, again, I apologize for invading your home, and I promise that I will confine myself to my brother’s chambers so as to make everyone more comfortable.” He paused. “But you are more than welcome to visit. I can always use a rousing conversation about truth, honor, patriotism. God Bless America!” He flashed another pointy grin.

  
“Um...” Loki could see that the super soldier was trying to take everything in, his jaw slack and his eyes slightly unfocused. “I, uh...Don’t know how to respond to that. Except that this will need to be approved by SHIELD. And, um...they probably won’t agree.”

  
The Jotunn’s brow furrowed and an eyebrow popped. “What do you mean? I am no more a threat to you than - to use my own analogy - an ant. I have no quarrel with your boot. My seidr is unpredictable at the moment, and so I had Frigga lock it away, trapped within me. I am in no way prepared for a physical fight, nor am I stupid enough to engage in one. I have done nothing to Midgard to earn your distrust since my rather shoddy attempt to rule it all those years ago. I was one of the few who was able to stop Thanos. Why would SHIELD find my presence here threatening? I am not planning on leaving these rooms except to go to the medical floor for my appointments and such. I will even be escorted to and from if you think that that will be necessary.” His voice was growing a bit higher in pitch as his worry began to manifest itself.

  
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, refocusing himself. “Please, Captain Rogers. I have no where else to go. The healers in Asgard refuse to look at me, much less aid me. I need Doctor Banner and he is here. If I am forced to leave, I-I won’t have the option of going to a hospital. The babies, my brother’s children, will be at risk. I cannot do that, not after everything Thor and Jane have been through. I refuse to have come this far to lose them in childbirth. So please, Captain, I ask that you lay aside your prejudices and contempt for me and think of my brother, your companion, when you talk with SHIELD. Please. I will do anything you wish, as long as I can remain here. Please, help them to see that.” His voice retreated to a gravelly jumble of nothing as his large, lined hands smoothed his rounded stomach, soothing the fussy infants within.

  
A throat cleared. “Well, I actually need to go, as does Nat. We have a meeting at HQ this afternoon. I will return once it’s completed to, uh, let you know how it went.” Captain America stood, as did the woman beside the Jotunn. “Thank you for your hospitality.” He tramped to the door.

  
The Black Widow waved and smiled before exiting and closed the door behind her, leaving Loki alone to contemplate the delicate fact that his residence in Avenger’s Tower lay in the hands of a mad black man with one eye. 


	51. Chapter 51

**SHIELD Head Quarters - Unknown**

  
“He doesn’t pose a threat, Sir. He even told us that he is unable to perform magic.” Steve, being the gentleman that he was, could not help but throw his support behind the pregnant man living in the Asgardian apartments. After all, who could resist rescuing the ‘damsel’ in his distress.

  
Bruce jumped in to the argument, explaining, “He’s in a very fragile state physically, so he wouldn’t be up for a fight, either.”

  
Natasha also threw in that, they had ventured to Asgard on multiple occasions and he had been nothing but kind and courteous to them, even if they were extremely rude back. “He has never made a threat against us while on his home soil, where he is most powerful, not only through magic, but also due to his standing within Thor’s court.”

  
The three defending Avengers had agreed to keep Loki’s current blue and pregnant state hidden from the Director. The man, while deeply noble, could hold a grudge, and they did not want to bring the Jotunn harm by revealing anything that he did not want to be shared with the Council or the other Avengers.

  
The Director was studying each Avenger’s face closely. It was clear that the original team was divided: Banner, Rogers, and Romanoff ( _and_ , he assumed, _Thor_ ) versus Stark and Barton. It made sense, Barton and Stark had the most to lose, the most damage inflicted upon them by the man at full power. It was obvious that they would not want him under the same roof. The younger recruits, none of whom lived within the Tower, also seemed to side with Iron Man and Hawkeye. Most of them were just infants or toddlers when Loki had attacked New York, but they were raised on the stories, on the countless Hollywood retellings of the tale, and they were pissed that the villain believed that he could just waltz into Manhattan and make his home there.

  
The Director sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. It was decisions like these that he desperately wished that the chain of command had never passed to him. Slowly, he turned away from the expansive table to look out the reflective windows. “I want to talk to him. I will make my decision after.”  
_____________________________________

  
**New York City - Avenger’s Tower**

  
The door to his flat opened and shut rapidly. “Hello?” the Jotunn called from his kitchen. He had been doing the dishes, not wanting Asha, who was arriving tomorrow, to find him a complete slob. He shut off the scalding water, cursing the rubber gloves that did nothing to prevent his hands from feeling like they were on fire.

  
Silence.

  
Warily, he stripped the gloves off of his hands, trying not to hiss when little droplets of liquid lava touched his exposed skin. He called forth his Jotunn seidr, shaping a throwing knife within his palm as he walked slowly towards the door, gingerly placing each foot so as not to allow his claws to give him away. He carefully looked around the corner of the door to find an empty living room. He frowned, straightening and melting the knife. He swore that he had heard the door open and shut. His ruby gaze drifted to the door. There was a creamy envelope stuck to the inner handle.

  
As quickly as his legs could carry him, which was still surprisingly fast, he moved to the door and removed the paper. The outside of the envelope was plain, nothing printed or written on the smooth, pale surface. Using a hooked claw, Loki tore the envelope open to see what it contained. A brief message, in rather poor script, printed on college ruled paper, fell to the floor. Sighing, the Jotunn bent down, bending into a wide-legged kneel to accommodate his growing bump, and picked up the letter. It was brief:

  
_Director coming to see you. Would have stayed but it would have made me angry. Don’t want a reunion with Other Guy - Bruce_

  
A sinking feeling settled in Loki’s stomach. The Director, Agent Fury of SHIELD, was coming to his home. He’s going to make me leave, he thought, petrified. Then he had another thought entirely. _Maybe, if I am presentable and kind and a good host, he will allow me to stay_.

  
He returned to the kitchen, disposing of the note from Bruce so as to not get his friend into trouble, and began to make tea and gather small items of food. Scouring the shelves, he was able to find a tin of biscuits hidden among the boxes and boxes of PopTarts and Bisquick. Did his brother ever eat anything on Midgard besides sugary breakfast foods? He somehow doubted it.

  
When the sharp knock of authority at his door sounded a half hour later, the Jotunn was nervously waiting in his living room, a fine spread placed on the coffee table and his favorite robe wrapped around his body. While it did not hide the pregnancy, he somehow doubted that Fury would take kindly to seeing a semi-naked Jotunn in one of his apartments.

  
“The door is open, please come in,” he called, hiding the quiver in his rough voice through the projected volume. He turned and began fiddling with the plates and cups he had arranged on the table, trying to look busy. Several heavily booted footsteps entered the apartment, followed by a softly audible inhale. Loki slowly rose, trying not to use the armrests for assistance and failing miserably and turned to face the assembled crowd.

  
“Welcome to my brother’s apartment. Could I interest you in some tea? I’m afraid I was not expecting such a large gathering, so, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get some more cups.” He began to walk briskly towards the kitchen before turning to face the assembly. They hadn’t moved. The group of people were all tightly clustered around something, or someone. It had to be Fury, causing Loki to wonder how old that particular mortal was now. Of course his people would be protecting him. Captain Rogers was there, as were Tony Stark and, to the Jotunn’s surprise, Hawkeye, holding firmly onto the harness of a guide dog.

  
The sight broke his heart anew, knowing of Barton’s pride and how this must hurt him terribly. Smiling, but keeping his lips firmly closed over his fangs, Loki gestured towards the living room furniture. “Please, have a seat. Make yourselves comfortable.”

  
As soon as his be-robed figure disappeared into the kitchen, the whispering started. Loki knew that it was inevitably going to happen, but was still hurt by it all the same. He quickly gathered the remaining cups and mugs, praying that he had enough tea for everyone, and briskly turned the corner into the living room. The gathering had shifted from the door to the furniture, though there was still a rather large group clumped around one of the armchairs. So the Avengers and Agents of SHIELD did not trust him with the Director. That was an interesting development.

  
“I am terribly sorry that I was unprepared, Director Fury. I did not realize that I would be hosting so many people.” He placed the china on the coffee table and retreated so that he was facing the crowded armchair. “Welcome to my brother’s home.”

  
“Please,” a familiar voice cut through the crowd, “Stand back. The...man...made tea and biscuits. I highly doubt that he is planning on killing me again.” Loki cocked his head, confused. He had never attempted to kill Fury, nor any person at SHIELD directly. Except for one.

  
“S-Son of Coul?” he breathed, astounded that his deepest regret could be alive and sitting across from where he stood, hands folded demurely in front of his rounded abdomen. The agents, all wearing either regulation SHIELD combat suits or designer suits complete with ties and shades, slowly peeled away from the figure in the chair.

  
His trademark black Italian suit was pressed, not a wrinkle marred the surface. His hands were folded on his crossed legs, looking strong and un-aged. The face was the same, though a bit grey about the temples. The man’s cool and collected presence radiated throughout the room, making the Jotunn rather uncomfortable. The last time he had been confronted by that face, he had mercilessly stabbed the body in the back, was told that he lacked conviction, and was then blasted through a wall by an alien weapon. He could not help himself: His ruby eyes simply stared, dumbfounded, at the figure of SHIELD agent Coulson. Could it be that he had housed this regret that gnawed away at his soul for over twenty years for naught? The man, the only man killed by his own hand when he had attacked Midgard, was inexplicably sitting before him, very much alive.

  
“Oh, thank the All-Father,” Loki breathed as he staggered backwards before sinking to his knees. “Son of Coul, I have been living with such remorse for the actions that I took against you, knowing that no matter what I did, do, or will do could never atone for the act of murder that I committed and the utter guilt that I would never be rid of. I have never regretted anything, _anything_ , more in my life than that act of slaughter. I did not even hope to find forgiveness, and I know that it is truly too much for me to ask of you, but, please know, that I will rest much easier knowing that, by some miracle of the gods, you survived my cowardly attack against you. So, though I know that you will not give it, I humbly ask for your forgiveness. I am deeply sorry.”

  
The Jotunn bowed his horned head in contrition, a Clawed hand placed over his heart in a fist. It was a sign of respect and an acknowledgement of power on Asgard, and he hoped that it would convey a similar meaning to the mortal.

  
The following silence was unbearable, it’s weight pressing down on Loki as if he were Atlas forced underneath the world. Still, he did not move, holding his position and act of contrition until the man across from him spoke. It seemed like an eternity had passed when the distinct voice reached his blue ears.

  
“Captain Rogers, Doctor Banner, and Agent Romanoff said that you had changed.” It was a statement with one word carrying many connotations. _Changed_. It was true in so many ways. _But which does Agent Coulson mean?_ Loki wondered, still motionless.

  
The man in the immaculate suit continued. “Did you know that we’ve been keeping tabs on you, Loki?” There was a brief pause to the rhetorical question. The Jotunn was not stupid, and neither was SHIELD. Of course they were keeping track of the man that had brought so much destruction and death to their world in a short amount of time. “I must say that, in spite of the debriefings and the pictures, the blue and the horns are a bit startling, though not as unsettling as your eyes. I never thought that the saying ‘The eyes are the window to the soul’ was true, until now.”

  
Loki’s ruby orbs flicked up to the man’s face, wary and questioning the point of this discussion. While he held so much power with his tongue, as the God of Lies, he knew what the eyes could convey. He also knew that his particular pair, due to the subtle two-tone scarlet were generally disconcerting.

  
He lowered them again as Coulson elaborated. “They tell me all I need to know.” Again, the man paused. “Please, get up. There is no need for you to be kneeling in your own home.” The Jotunn’s head snapped up, shocked. _In your own home._

  
“Does that mean that I can stay?” he whispered hoarsely, holding his breath for the mortal’s reply.

  
“Yes, of course.” It was stated matter-of-factly, as if it was obvious. 


	52. Chapter 52

**New York City - Avenger’s Tower**

  
Loki exhaled, slowly as he gave a small, shy smile to the man in the armchair. “Thank you, Son of Coul,” he breathed. He began to slowly raise himself, one clawed hand braced on his knee while the other supported the underside of his stomach. A pair of hands settled gently but firmly onto his robed body. The blue head snapped up, looking at the man out of time. One hand grasped his upper arm, the other his opposite shoulder and, between the two of them, the kneeling man was able to rise. “Thank you, Captain.” Loki inclined his head.

  
“Steve. You can call me Steve,” the blond smiled, extending his hand. Loki looked at the hand and smiled as he extended his own, the blue contrasting with the tan as the two men shook hands.

  
The moment was interrupted by a short cough from Coulson’s armchair. “Since you are staying, we have a few things that need to be cleared up.” In a slightly louder voice, the man, obviously possessing some authority said to the entire room, “If you are under Level 7 clearance, you may leave.” The room was filled with footsteps as boots and designer dress shoes clacked across the wooden floorboards and out the apartment door.

  
Loki’s head spun around, watching the agents file out orderly. Once the door was firmly shut again, only Coulson, Steve, Stark, and Clint remained. The Jotunn frowned, his brow crinkling in confusion. “Where is Director Fury, if I may ask?”

  
“He retired about seven years ago. He’s in Tahiti, last I heard. It’s a magical place,” the man in the pressed suit. “I succeeded him as director back during the Hydra incident. I believe that you were about two years into your...time in Alaska.”

  
“Oh,” Loki stated, shrugging. “I’ve heard that Tahiti’s delightful, though I doubt that my icy exterior would like it very much.” He chuckled self-depreciatively, masking a dark murmur from Clint that sounded something like “They should have kept him _there_ to melt.” Stark, on the other hand laughed raucously, though the Jotunn was sure that it was in relation to the archer’s statement versus his joke.

  
Coulson gestured to the couch with a grand sweeping gesture. “Please, Loki, have a seat.” The blue man sat heavily, sighing, and earning him a kick in his spleen. He groaned, a hand flying to his rounded stomach and rubbing it furiously, humming under his breath to calm the fidgety infants.

  
“What’s that noise?” The archer’s head was tipped, his ear facing the Jotunn and his rich, throaty hum.

  
Loki stopped his rumbling and stated, “That’s me. Sorry. I’m just trying to calm the little one’s. They’re getting a bit cramped in there.” He smiled, before his lips slipped downward, realizing that the man in the second armchair, his hand resting on the head of a yellow lab, could not see it. Instead the mortal’s face was curious and, hidden deep within his unseeing eyes, self-loathing. “Um...Agent Barton. I’m...uh...” He faded to silence, unsure of how to reveal his current state without making the man even more confused.

  
“He’s pregnant,” Stark said flatly, “Though how _he’s_ getting any is beyond me.”

  
Total shock spread across the SHIELD agent’s deeply lined face. “What. The. HELL. WHAT gives YOU the RIGHT TO FUCK WITH THE BLIND GUY!” His voice was cracking with the sheer volume that was emitting from his lips. Loki clapped his hands over his sensitive ears, waiting for the glass-shattering yelling to stop.

  
Unsure of what to do besides the obvious, he raised himself from the couch and waddled a couple of steps to the archer. The dog, a friendly looking beast, gave the horned creature a nervous look and shifted his paws. Clint, noticing the shifting of the guide dog, turned his cloudy eyes towards the taller man as he knelt with a soft groan. “Here. Let me.” He gingerly touched the mortal’s warm hand. He was surprised when the hand was not withdrawn.

  
“What are you doing?” Clint whispered dangerously.

  
“I’m going to show you that you are not being...fucked with,” Loki whispered, gently squeezing the rough surface of the hand below. “So this is my hand. You can tell because it’s really rough and rather cool, or so I’ve been told. Honestly, every Midgardian or Aesir I come in contact with is hot to the touch, which I am assuming means that I am colder than them.” He gently and slowly lifted the warmer hand and placed it on his stomach. “This is my stomach. It looks like a tiny planet, mostly due to the blue color. I think I look rather rotund, but it’s mostly baby. Oh!” He shifted the hand to the left, placing the man’s hand over the hand of one of the babies. The child punched his uterine wall again, pressing into the archer’s palm. “Did you feel that? That’s a fist.”

  
The mortal’s unseeing eyes were wide, aware of the movement occurring underneath the cool, rounded surface. “I believe you,” he breathed, turning his pale orbs on the face of the god.

  
“And that is what we are here to discuss,” Coulson said, effectively regaining control of the room. “It has been brought to my attention through various sources that you are here because of an arrangement that you made with Doctor Banner?”

  
“Yes,” Loki stated, “Though last I heard, he didn’t work for SHIELD. He’s a free agent and can do what he wishes with his time and considerable talents.”

  
Couslon coughed, surprised that the Jotunn had done his homework. “Yes, but as the agency who runs most of this building, we need to know how this agreement was reached and why.”

  
Loki sighed, getting tired and frustrated over the fact that he had to keep telling his story. He kept a lid on his exasperation, however, for the sake of the man who still had his hand pressed against the moving bulge that used to be his stomach. He inhaled slowly before saying, “Due to my species, the Jotunn of Jotunnheim, I am able to conceive and bear children. My brother and his wife, Jane Foster, are unable to carry a babe to term. When they gifted my daughter to me, they signed over their heir, reinstating me as the heir to the throne of Asgard and the mantle of All-Father.” He noticed the mortals flinch at the thought.

  
“I did not, and do not want a title or the responsibility that comes with ruling. I’ve tried it and I found that I was not particularly cut out for it -” 

“I’d say,” Tony cut him off. “Do you even _know_ what you did to this world?”

  
“Yes,” the god breathed, regret saturating his voice. “ _And_ Asgard, _and_ Jotunnheim. Your world was not the only planet to feel my misguided quest for power, do not forget that. I certainly do not and that is why I am still striving to make things right, even after my sentence has ended.” He lowered his voice, saturating it with sadness. “Do not think that I am not filled with remorse, Man of Iron. It haunts me everyday.” He met the piercing gaze of the elderly inventor before shifting to Coulson, who gave the blue man a small nod. “I felt the need to rid the realm of the possibility of my rule and, more importantly, to give my brother and his wife what they deserve: the chance to hold their own child.”

  
He paused before continuing. “After much preparation and research, Doctor Banner was able to harvest some of Jane’s eggs and Thor’s sperm, and inseminate me with the resulting embryos. I am due in late September. Twins. A boy and a girl.”

  
The silence that followed was not one of disgust. Instead, it was rather pleasant, the faces relaxing as they realized that the monster was not carrying his own spawn. Loki, taking advantage of the quiet, stated his piece. “I understand that I am not particularly wanted, and thus, I will remain within these chambers except to venture forth to the medical floor for my appointments with Doctor Banner. I only ask that you not subject my aide and companion, Asha, and my daughter, Aiko, to the same treatment. They are not the beings that you despise and should not be subject to your severe contempt. But do know that my door is open, I will be here and would love company, but I will not seek it outside of these walls, where I am not wanted. It will be as if I am not here. Once my time comes and the babies are birthed, I will take a day or so to recover and then I will return to Asgard and you will never have to see me again, if you so wish. Does that sound alright with you, Director?”

  
“That is fine with me, though, I do not see the need to keep you secluded if you do not wish to be. Stark has this tower wired from top to bottom, cameras upon cameras. You would not get away with anything without Jarvis discovering it. Of course, your freedom is outside of my designation. The team will have to decide on that. In any case,” The man in the suit stood and replaced his sunglasses over his eyes. “Welcome to Avenger’s Tower, Loki. I hope you have a pleasant stay.”

  
He stood and strode across the room before Loki had risen to shake his hand. The man paused, his fingers wrapped around the handle of the door. “Thank you, Loki, for your apology. It - it means a lot.” With that, the man was gone. 


	53. Chapter 53

**New York City - Avenger’s Tower**

  
The small gathering sat in the living room in a rather stunned silence for what seemed like an eternity only broken by the soft panting of the yellow lab at the archer’s feet.

  
“Well,” a snarky voice broke the barrier of sound, “That went quite differently in my head.” Tony Stark, his salt and pepper grey head was staring at the overloaded coffee table, the tea, now cool, and the boxed biscuits untouched. “Apparently, Coulson can be won over with some tea and sympathy.” His eyes flitted to Loki, who was still kneeling on the floor with Barton’s hand pressed to his rounded abdomen. “I warn you now, Violet Beauregard, _I_ am not so easily convinced.”

  
The Captain gave an undignified snort. “What do you mean, Stark? The man can barely get off the floor to a standing position without help! What could _he_ possibly do?” Loki shot the soldier a burning look, his red eyes flashing dangerously. “No offense meant, Loki. It’s just...true.”

  
The Jotunn softened his gaze and shrugged his shoulders with a huff. “You speak the truth, Captain. It’s just...hard for me to accept it as such. And as for you, Stark, I am on your territory, in your home. I tried to take it once, do you think me stupid enough to try again? And worse, do you think so low of me that I would put my brother’s children in danger?”

  
His earnest eyes met the sharp brown gaze of the inventor, trying to gage the man’s reasoning behind his assumptions. The pregnant man could only assume that it was because of the harm that he had caused the mortal nearly a quarter of a century ago. “I apologize, Tony Stark, Man of Iron, for the misdeeds that I have wreaked on you.”

  
He turned his head to the man who still had his hand placed over his belly bulge, a look of complete awe and bliss on his lined face. “I fear I wronged you the most, Agent Barton. I apologize with all my heart and I know that there is nothing that I can do to undo the damage I wrought.”

  
The man’s face, carved with the years, softened and his warm hand followed the baby as it moved within the Jotunn. His unseeing eyes looked past the blue man’s shoulder and he gave a small smile. “Loki,” he stated. “I accept your apology but I don’t think I can forgive you.”

“I understand,” the Jotunn replied. “Thank you, Agent Barton.” The babies shifted so that they were sitting on his bladder. He groaned. “I apologize, Barton, but I need to utilize the facilities. Baby number two just decided that my bladder would be a comfortable pillow.”

The Captain rose to help the pregnant man to his feet. “And we, gentlemen of the Avengers, have a meeting to discuss the parameters of Loki’s visit. We cannot make a decision without hearing from the whole team.”

  
“Fine,” grumbled Stark, already heading for the door, practically pulling Barton, guide dog and all, behind him. 

“I’ll be back later to...uh...let you know what we decide,” Steve said as he too, headed for the door. 

The Jotunn looked at the cluttered coffee table and sighed. “Who knew that mortals would make such a mess?”  
___________________________________

  
Asha arrived the following morning and was met by Bruce. He said that the Jotunn was still sleeping, his deep purring punctuated with snoring that was audible in the hallway outside the apartment. The stress from the previous day had obviously taken a toll on him. He slept from early afternoon until mid-morning, missing Steve’s return not once, but three times and missing Bruce entirely.

  
“I’m terribly sorry, Asha, that Loki couldn’t meet you,” Bruce said, smiling kindly at the small Vanir woman. “I know that he had every intention of being here when you arrived, but...I guess he just needed to catch up on his rest. He’s been pushing himself too hard, hasn’t he?”

  
Asha smiled brightly, chuckling under her breath. “Would you expect anything less from our Prince of Asgard?” Bruce added his own soft, breathy laugh, his head shaking.

  
“No, no, I wouldn’t.” He grabbed Asha’s bags off the floor, a skein of yarn falling to the floor, followed by a jumbled woolen something. The mortal quickly scooped it back up and held it up to the light. It looked like an oven mitt with a tail. “What is this?” he asked curiously.

  
The Vanir woman snatched it out of the doctor’s hands. “My poor attempts at knitting baby sweaters for the little ones. It’s pretty awful.”

  
“Well,” Bruce started, “You’ve got a couple more months to figure it out and, trust me, it looks much better than if I was the one knitting it.” He grinned broadly at the woman, a faint blush creeping into his cheeks. The lovely healer was also blushing, her eyes sparkling. Bruce coughed, attempting to suppress a strange desire that suddenly washed over him. “Let’s get you situated downstairs. I’m sure he’ll be up any minute.”

  
Asha swept a piece of hair away from her face, as she smiled. “Yes, yes of course.”  
_______________________________

  
Loki rubbed his eyes and yawned deeply, stretching as he lazily watched the sunlight stream in through the windows. The babies tumbled about in his abdomen, waking with their vessel and the abrupt stop to the comforting purr that lulled them to sleep. They, of course, quickly found the Jotunn’s bladder.

  
“Ok!” he grunted, “And now we’re up!” He slowly rolled out of bed, setting his horned feet, complete with his slightly swollen ankles, on the wood paneled floor with a soft ‘oof.’ He stumbled to his bathroom and prepared to face the rest of his day, humming to himself and wondering when Steve would be back.

  
A short while later, freshly bathed and bladder blessedly empty, his hair hanging loose to nearly his waist, his favorite robe wrapped around his body, hiding his loincloth and his unbound breasts, a noise from the living room caused the Jotunn to stop abruptly. “Hello?” he asked, trying to keep his voice level and calm as he slowly clicked towards the living room through the kitchen, ice playing at his fingertips.

  
“My Lord?” A soft voice called from near the door.

  
“Asha?” The Jotunn returned, picking up his pace so that he could meet her at the entrance to the kitchen. He bent his knees and swept her up into his cold embrace. “I’ve missed you.”

  
“We’ve only been apart for a day,” she chuckled, pulling away and taking his lanky frame in.

  
“Did I really sleep that long?” he exclaimed. “I must have slept for eighteen hours. No wonder I feel so great!” He grinned broadly. “I am so glad that you are here.” He set a cool hand on her shoulder and slid past her into the living room. “Where are your things? Did you not bring anything?”

  
Asha laughed, little bells tinkling in the sound. “I’ve been here since six thirty, My Lord. I’m all moved into the room beside yours. I must say, the noise you make while sleeping is very comforting.”

  
“Um...thank you.” His expression was quizzical as his ruby eyes met into her hazel orbs.

  
“You have no idea, do you?” She smiled, amused by the young prince. He shook his head, his eyebrows knit. The healer elaborated. “It’s like a deep rumbling, almost like thunder except more melodic. It’s really beautiful, kind of like a cat purring.”

  
“So, I’m like a giant house cat,” the man said, his lips turning downward into a frown, displeased.

  
“No...” Asha tried to salvage the situation. “It’s so comforting and charming. I can see why Aiko likes to sleep near you.” She beamed at the blue man. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of, My Lord.”

  
A knock on the apartment door broke their conversation, causing Asha to breath a sigh of relief. Loki had been less moody as of late, but he still found aspects of his true nature animalistic and inhuman. “Come in,” the god called out, his head turning towards the wooden door. The door opened slowly to reveal the blonde super soldier.

  
“Glad that I caught you, Loki,” the man said. “I guess fourth time’s the charm!”

  
“Please, Captain, come in.” He gestured toward the couch with a blue clawed hand. “Could I get you anything? Tea? Water? Biscuit?”

  
“My Lord, you will not be getting him anything. Sit,” Asha gently pushed the pregnant man towards the couch with a laugh. Loki stumbled a bit from the push but recovered with a loud ‘ehehehehe.’

  
“As you command, My Lady.” The Jotunn gave a small bow, his arms open wide while he grinned at the short woman. “Will you join me, Steve?” The two men ventured to the sitting area while Asha bustled off into the kitchen.

  
“I’m sorry that I missed you earlier. I was...” He opted for honesty. “I was sleeping. Yesterday was incredibly stressful and it just wore me out.”

  
The super soldier smiled understandingly. “It’s alright, Loki. I come bearing good news.” He paused dramatically before continuing. “We, the original team - minus Thor, whose vote - let’s face it - would have been in your favor anyway, voted that you should be given access to the common areas of the tower.”

  
“Wow,” the Jotunn breathed, not sure how to respond. “That’s...surprising.”

  
“Well, Bruce gave a very commanding argument in your favor and, well, I think that he’s right. You’ve changed, in more ways than the obvious.” He looked at the man beside him, scanning the blue skin with it’s lighter, faded ridges weaving in and out of the robe, the deep neckline barely hiding unbound breasts and the rounded stomach that made him look like an aged patriarch. Arching horns caught the light from the windows, shiny and thick hair cascading down the robed back, contrasting sharply with kind, ruby eyes which stared back at him, an eyebrow cocked.

  
“Thank you...” The man replied hesitantly.

  
“You’re welcome, Loki. I mean it. I mean...you’re the crown prince of Asgard and royal advisor to the King and, instead of being a manipulative maniac and trying to steal your brother’s throne, which is something you would have done in a heart beat a quarter of a century ago -”

  
“In Thor’s defense, he would have been a terrible king before his banishment. I just helped him to realize his potential,” the Jotunn cut in.

  
“Well, that being said, you seem content to remain as you are now. It’s...a bit unexpected, to say the least. And then you show up here, however many months...a-along...” His voice faded out.

  
“Seven months. I’m nearly seven months pregnant. You can say it, it’s alright. I can’t deny it, Captain.”

  
“Yes, it’s just a lot to take in. Um...You’re here, carrying your _brother’s_ children. And on top of that, you’re different. Aiko has changed you, I think. You’re still calculating, highly intelligent, but you’re also thoughtful, more aware of what your actions wreak on others versus yourself. It’s a complete turn around and I think it’s more due to Aiko than anything else.”

  
“It is. She’s the best part of my life and the best part of me.” The Jotunn smiled, any hint of stress eliminated from his ridged face. “It’s hard, right now, to be apart from her, you know. It’s like I’m in my cell again and she had just left to be the daughter to my brother and sister-in-law. Of course, I didn’t know it at the time. I had just assumed that she was leaving my life forever and it became a very dark time for me. It just makes me nervous, not being near her, not being there to offer her comfort, a listening ear...what if something happens and I’m not there? We’ve picked each other up so many times that it’s odd to go so long without seeing her.” His eyes began to prickle with the promise of tears. The Jotunn took a sharp breath, trying to center himself, not show weakness in front of the man out of time.

  
Asha returned bearing a tray of teacups, a pot, and thin, crispy biscuit wafers. “Here we are, my Lord. I had to hunt for the biscuits. Does your brother eat anything on Midgard besides PopTarts?”

  
Steve guffawed, nearly spilling the tea from his small porcelain cup. Loki smirked, a corner of his mouth turning up to reveal sharp, white fangs. “No, Asha, I don’t think he does. Which would explain why Jane is so loathe to let him visit alone. I doubt that _PopTarts_ are a good source of vitamins, protein, or fiber.”

  
Asha just shook her head, listening to the Jotunn pick on his older brother. She relished times like these, when her Prince was truly happy and relaxed. It was miraculous that he was able to have moments like this at all, where he was so free from scrutiny and able to be himself: a talented, kind-hearted, intelligent, and thoughtful man who loved his family, was loyal to his friends and country, and respected the Nine and all they had to offer.

  
Finishing his tea, Steve gently set down the porcelain object, saying, “Thanks for the tea, Loki. Would you be interested in a tour of your new abode? Or at least the places you’re allowed?”

  
The Jotunn also set down his cup with a clink. “That would be lovely, thank you Captain. Would you be interested in coming, Asha?”  
The small woman smiled, her eyes squinting with happiness at being included instead of just the help, but, then again, Loki certainly did not treat her like a servant, more like a friend. “I would love to, my Lord,” she beamed.

  
The Jotunn hefted himself off of the couch and waddled, one hand pressed to the small of his back, towards the kitchen. “Asha,” he said sweetly, “Could I bother you to help me for a moment? I can’t go traipsing about the infamous Avenger Tower in this indecent state.”

  
“Of course, My Lord. I will be right behind you,” the small woman called to the prince’s receding back. She turned and gave the mortal small smile and a mouthed, “Give us a second” before following the pregnant man to his rooms.

  
When she arrived, he had already removed his robe and thrown a gold and emerald threaded breast band onto his bed. His clawed hands were skillfully braiding his hair into it’s traditional style. His ruby eyes caught the healer in the mirror over the small wooden chest of drawers. “Could you help me with...um...these?” His hands paused allowing one to drop to his chest level. “They’re too big for me to do it myself.”

  
“I am sorry to hear that, My Lord. Of course, I will wrap you.” She walked around the man, picking the soft fabric off the bed and handing the end to him. “Okay. Hold this.” His blue hand brushed her pale one as he took the proffered end and covered his right bosom. Asha made quick work of wrapping him tightly, yet comfortably while he finished his long hair.

  
“I’m going to need to get it cut again,” Loki mumbled, holding the end of the braid that settled in the small of his back. “I can’t get over how fast it’s growing. This is ridiculous. It’s like my body is telling me that I’m supposed to be a woman. My...other part...is retreating into my body. I mean, in a few weeks, I could pee sitting down!”

  
“Are you sure that it’s not just because your stomach is growing?” Asha tried to calm the prince.

  
“Yes,” he sighed. “It’s in the Jotunn Biology book.” His morose ruby eyes met her almond hazel ones. “It’s not permanent, just a third trimester thing, but...it’s still strange and weird, you know? I just feel like my body is never going to stop changing on me and I don’t like it. It’s just another reminder of my monstrous nature.”

  
“Well, if it makes anything better, Your Majesty, I think that you are a very handsome monster.” She beamed up at his face, watching his dark cloud part and the spark return to his eyes.

  
He gently pushed her towards the door. “You’re only saying that because I employ you.”

  
“No, Sir,” she countered, facing the tall man as she walked backwards, one hand skimming along the wall, “I say it because I’m you’re friend.”

  
His fangs flashed into a wide smile. “Then I think you need to start calling me Loki.”


	54. Chapter 54

**New York City - Avenger’s Tower**

  
The super soldier began the tour in a very familiar location - the medical floor. The floor, level 75, was very familiar to Loki and was the lowest floor that he would be allowed to visit. Asha had never gone with the Jotunn to any of his appointments so she wandered the halls absorbing the differences between the mortal medical technology and her own familiarity as a healer on Asgard. The two rooms, at the far end of the sterile white hallway were the two rooms where Loki had spent most of his time on Midgard. The room on the left held what the blue man began to not so fondly refer to as the ‘pregnancy throne.’ The structure fascinated the Vanir woman, the leg holders were rather scary looking and the faded pink faux leather covered in the thin paper made her realize that the prince had not been exaggerating when he complained about the piece of furniture.

  
The room opposite was just as sterile and shockingly white as the rest of the floor, with added glass-topped tables, shining metal instruments and beakers that were bubbling away. Bruce, wearing a white lab coat, was hunched over a petri dish, muttering softly while he scribbled notes into a marbled notebook.

  
Hearing the familiar click of the Jotunn’s claws on the tiled floor, the mortal doctor turned towards the door, smiling. “How are you today?” he asked, his gaze meeting the ruby eyes of the pregnant man before shifting to Steve and finally settling on Asha, where his brown eyes softened.

  
“Well, thank you,” Loki replied, smiling as he took in the slight flush on the small woman’s face and the dilation of the mortal doctor’s eyes. He gave a small, one sided smile, a ridged hand reaching up from his stomach to stroke one of his horns. “How are you, Bruce?”

  
The mortal appeared to have not heard him, his eyes just focused to the small woman at the god’s side. The mortal man, suddenly realizing that he had been addressed, quickly said, “Good, good.”

  
Loki looked at Steve, the blonde’s eyebrows arching as he observed the other two people in the room, a tiny smile playing on his lips. The Jotunn beamed and winked at the soldier before turning back to the doctor and the healer, both of whom were caught in each other’s gazes. Loki cleared his throat, his hands rubbing his stomach, when a sudden, strange uncomfortable tightness in his womb. “Ah,” he gasped, softly, doubling over on himself.

  
Almost immediately, he felt large, hot hands on his shoulders quickly followed by another, much smaller pair fitted over his Claws and a soft inquiry from the man who housed the Hulk. “Are you ok, Loki?”

  
The strange, almost frozen feeling of his uterus disappeared almost as quickly as it had come. The blue man’s brow furrowed and he straightened, his hands running along his distended abdomen and coming to rest under it, cradling his little blue planet, the two Aesir that resided in it kicking against his arms. “Yes,” he replied, looking rather confused that he did. “I think I just had a contraction.”

  
“Braxton-Hicks,” Bruce responded matter-of-factly. “I was wondering when they would be starting. No need to worry. They’re normal, just getting you ready for the big day!” He smiled as he ran his warm, rough hands on the other man’s rounded stomach, poking and prodding. “Everything’s fine, Loki. The little one’s seem very happy. They’ve grow a lot. Thor and Jane will be so pleased when they come for the ultrasound Friday.”

  
The Jotunn gave a small smile in response, very much aware that the babies were growing rapidly. His waddle was very apparent, his back in a constant state of aching, his stomach impossibly large and round, traversed with purple veins, though no stretch marks, positioned underneath his orange-sized breasts. He also knew that he still had some growing to do, with over twelve weeks left if he carried to full-term. 

Steve, shifting a bit uncomfortably, said, “We should keep going, there’s a few other places to see.”

  
“Oh, yes, of course. I’m sorry for keeping you from your work, Bruce,” the Jotunn apologized, placing a cool hand on the shorter man’s shoulder.

  
Slyly, the doctor’s eyes flickered to the small woman beside the horned man. “It’s not a problem, Loki. Please, stop by any time.” Somehow, the god doubted that the invitation was just open for him. He smiled, observing the slight pink shade that colored his helper’s cheeks and the twinkle that adorned the grey-haired man’s eyes.

  
Loki followed the super soldier out the door, giving the woman and man that were left within the lab some time alone. He found himself smiling with the biggest smile he was ever capable of. He could not have planned it better himself. If two people in all the worlds deserved the greatest amount of happiness, it would be the Vanir healer who had aided him in spite of being completely petrified of his true nature, and the only man who understood what it meant to have a monster within.

  
“Asha?” Loki called, a plan formulating in his mind. “I think it would be best if you stayed, so Bruce can enlighten you about our...uh...birth plan.” The tiny woman exited the room a few seconds later, blushing fiercely, making the Jotunn’s smile widen and nodded her thanks. _Who’d have thought that this pregnancy would have brought more wonderful things than babies?_ he smirked secretively.

  
The two men made their way to the elevator and rode the contraption up to the eightieth floor. “Welcome to the gym,” Steve said, gesturing towards the vast, windowed expanse, the strange mechanical contraptions whirring as their occupants turned away from the floor to ceiling windows and tiny TV screens, to stare at the opening elevator doors.

  
It was as if everything had stopped. A young man, who was originally sprinting on a treadmill, face-planted as he miss-stepped. Everyone else stilled as if shot or caught in the high beams of a car. Loki immediately regretted leaving his robe in Thor’s apartment, his blue, round form exposed in front of the young Avengers and SHIELD recruits.

  
A flash of red jogged over towards the small party, a tired but smiling face giving the Jotunn a much-needed sense of comfort. “Agent Romanoff,” he said, inclining his horned head with a small smile, his lips still closed firmly over his fangs.

  
“Loki,” the woman responded, a quirky cock in her eyebrow off-setting her one-sided smile as her eyes shifted from his face to his stomach and then back to his face. He nodded, allowing the woman to place her lethal hands on his precious cargo. “How are we today?”

  
“Well, thank you,” Loki replied. “And yourself?”

  
“Um...some unpleasantness this morning, to be honest,” her gaze flitting upwards to meet his concerned ruby eyes.

  
“My condolences.” His growl dropped to a whisper as he continued, not wanting to draw attention to the woman’s condition. “A light diet of crackers or toast and broth worked for me. Drink plenty of water and get plenty of sleep. You should let Doctor Banner know. He’s very good at keeping a secret.”

  
She smiled before whispering, “I told Clint.” The ruby eyes bore into her green orbs, asking what he knew not to speak aloud. She said a little louder. “Clint hasn’t left the range since late last night. I think he might be happy to speak with you. If you follow me, I can show you how to get there.”

  
“That would be lovely, thank you Agent Romanoff.”

  
“Please, Loki, call me Nat.” She beamed up at him as she removed her hot hands from his cool stomach. He smirked at her response. If any one of the recruits within the gym had doubted his pure intentions, they now understood that they would be facing the wrath of the Black Widow. Only the original team called the woman by her first name and to be included was a high honor.

  
The floor above the gym housed the target range with long, dark, narrow aisles dimly lit with various colored lights. It was unoccupied except for the lane furthest from the elevator. The glass partition was closed, the yellow lab sat patiently beside the closed door, it’s tail thumping as it spotted the red-head.

  
As the three people approached, Loki could see why the dog was outside the firing range. Behind the glass stood a greying man, bow clutched almost lovingly in his weathered hands, fingertips sliding along the smooth shaft as the implement was raised and aimed - no where near the target. The arrow flew, strong and fast, into the left side wall about fifty feet from where the man stood, impaled into the soundproofing. The range lights flashed red: a miss, though the man could not see it. The entire length of the aisle was littered with arrows making it look like an inverted porcupine. Only five arrows had found the round target at the end and none of them were anywhere near the bullseye.

  
Loki felt hot tears form at the corner of his eyes, deeply saddened by the loss of the man’s talent due to physical deformity. Knowing that he could, in no way, do anything except speak with the mortal at this moment, he rapped on the glass and moved to open the door. The man’s head snapped up and he, intelligently, placed the bow on stand in front of him, his hands double checking that the weapon was being placed properly.

  
As the Jotunn opened the door, he heard “I don’t wanna talk now, Nat.”

  
“I’m not Agent Romanoff,” he whispered gently. “She asked me to come speak with you, Agent Barton.” He firmly closed the door behind him with a click, his ruby eyes focused on the other man’s rough hands as they lingered over the bow, itching to pick it up and take out his greatest enemy, the man who knew all of his weaknesses. “I have been told that she revealed something to you last night, something that was very personal, and I want to know why you are not celebrating with her, the woman you love, the mother of your unborn child. What is it that keeps you here instead of going to her? What, Agent Barton, are you afraid of?”

  
The final phrase caused the mortal’s hard face to soften a tiny bit before turning into a deep, furious scowl. “I, Loki, am not afraid of anything.”

  
The Jotunn gave a tiny ‘ehehe.’ “We both know that statement to be false.” Instead of goading the man, the god opted for another approach, one that had worked for him before. “I cannot be sure what _you_ are feeling, Barton, but I can tell you what I am feeling and what Natasha is most certainly feeling.” He paused watching the man cross his arms, his clouded eyes focusing just above Loki’s left shoulder.

  
“I know that I am terrified of the future. So much of me has changed, Agent Barton, not the least of which are the two children that I carry within me right now. While I am not truly their parent biologically, I know that they will learn of their birth, of how they were sprung from the womb of a monster, albeit, their uncle, but a beast nonetheless. How is that going to effect them? Am I just different enough that they will not be normal? Will they be tormented and abused like my own beautiful and perfect daughter because of their relation to me? The future is a terrifying thing, Agent Barton, but it is the one thing that we all must face. As for Natasha, I can only speculate from having been in her position. She is very susceptible to doubt right now. The gift of being able to bear the children of the one that you love is both a blessing and a curse. She is frightened about her future, the future of the unborn babe in her belly, and, mostly, she worries about your rejection of her. She is a fierce warrior, your Widow, but she is deeply vulnerable when it comes to her relationship with you. Please, talk to her. I cannot tell you what she will say, but I can promise you this: She _loves_ you, Agent Barton, no matter what.”

  
The blind man across from him blinked rapidly, tears overflowing his blue eyes. “But how can you be so sure?” he whispered. “Who would want an invalid as a partner or a parent? I am _worthless_. I cannot provide for a family, much less care for a child! I would only hold them back, slow them down.”

  
“Is that what you really think?” a soft, feminine voice murmured from behind the Jotunn. “That you’re worthless and you will only bring us misery? That I shouldn’t _want_ you?” The woman edged around Loki, gently squeezing his arm in gratitude, before grasping the hands of her partner. “Clint,” she whispered lovingly, “I will always want you and our child will grow up feeling like the most loved and adored baby this world has ever seen so long as you are there. Please Clint, don’t pull away from me, don’t become a recluse over something that you couldn’t control. It will get better with time and practice. You will become a new person, overcoming your loss to thrive. And, more importantly, you are not, nor will you ever be, alone. You, me, and this child, Clint, we will be a family that loves and supports each other forever, no matter what.”

  
Loki slowly backed out of the door as the couple, both crying, embraced and kissed, their love overwhelming him and making him yearn for Aiko. He missed his daughter and her bubbly enthusiasm so much and he was counting the days until he could see her again. He missed the smell of her paints that never left her soft, warm skin. He longed for the sound of her infectious laugh. He missed hearing her breathe as she lay beside him in sleep. By being away from her, his love and appreciation for the intelligent and gorgeous woman only increased.

  
Refocusing, he turned to Steve. “Not a word about this, Captain. Natasha does not want anyone to know until she feels like it is time.”

  
The soldier nodded once, his eyes fixed on the happy couple in the booth. He cleared his throat before turning on his heel and briskly marching down the hallway, Loki waddling rapidly behind him. “So, let’s go see the pool next.”  
_________________________________

  
The Jotunn and the soldier reclined on the patio outside of the pent house. The rest of their tour had been uneventful. The pool was on the floor above the shooting range, complete with two Olympic size swimming pools, four hot tubs and a large sauna. The humidity was nearly unbearable for Loki, the warmth causing his attempts to coat himself in frost to fail utterly. In a mad attempt at cooling himself, he dipped one of his hooked, big toes into one of the large pools, causing the water to instantly cool, the recruits leaping out of the pool as icebergs began to form. “Sorry!” Loki called, secretly wanting to float amongst the ice, relieving the aching in his lower back and pelvis. _Maybe another time, when no one else is around,_ he thought.

  
Following the pool floor was the dining hall, which Loki decided to avoid at all costs for two reasons. Firstly, he did not appreciate being stared at like an animal in a menagerie and the dining hall was an area of high traffic. Secondly, he could not actually eat any of the food. The smell was nauseating and even the produce was riddled with chemicals. Without tasting a single bite, the Jotunn knew that his sensitive stomach would not abide by the abysmal, heavily processed fare.

  
Several floors were skipped, being private quarters for the Avengers, the Director of SHIELD (one of many - Steve believed that Coulson had never actually spent a night in his suite), and a few military officials including Colonel Rhodes and US Paraglider Wilson, both of whom had earned the rank of general before their military careers ended. Since they were private rooms, Loki was not allowed to enter them without the permission of their occupant, just as no one could enter his without his say so.

  
The floor directly below the penthouse held Stark’s laboratory. There was no visible elevator button to allow anyone into the lab without the inventor’s expressed permission. As fascinated as the Jotunn was, he knew that the inventor would never allow him into the lab unless it was while under heavy sedation as the Man of Iron stuck a probe into his brain or other organs that he would personally prefer to leave untouched by science.

  
Which led to the conclusion of the tour in the penthouse, with the blue man and the blonde man seated across from each other. Loki had a thin layer of frost on his limbs, combatting the extreme heat that even his ring could not shield him from. The heat from the sun alone would not have been oppressive with the help of his brother’s gift but the reflection off the surrounding building’s glass intensified it immeasurably. Regardless of the oppressive heat, the Jotunn was determined to escape the inside of the building, to feel the wind against his skin and tugging at his braid, breathe the unrecycled air and feel, even if it was relatively limited, free.

  
“Captain? Could I ask you a personal query?” He turned to look at the man seated across from him who looked rather uncomfortable.

  
“Shoot,” replied the super soldier, his eyes meeting the rubies set in the lined azure of the Jotunn’s face.

  
“Do I make you nervous?” The question was obvious enough. The man had been a bit removed since the incident at the pool after being rather friendly and kind prior to that.

  
The super soldier contemplated the figure before him and then responded. “How much do you know about my life?”

  
“You are a man out of time, Steve Rogers. A captain in the United States military during World War II. I recall hearing very much about your adventures - I fought for Britain as a tactician and medical man, Thor was infantry. Then you disappeared, only to show up in Stuttgart.” He paused. “Where did you go? How did you retain your youth?”

  
His frosted head and horns angled inquisitively as he ran his hands over his stomach, feeling the babies wiggle under his touch.

  
The soldier looked at his hands and replied, “It’s the serum. Nat was injected with something similar as a child in Russia. It has made the two of us seemingly immortal, a curse as we watch our friends wither away. The serum kept me alive -” He swallowed visibly. “It kept me alive while I was frozen in the Arctic trying to rid the world of the Tesseract. I-I don’t like the cold. I’m...afraid of...ice. Of freezing. Of waking in another seventy years to find more of my friends gone.”

  
It hit the god like a ton of bricks. This kind gentleman, a soldier who was bound by honor, was not afraid of his true nature’s notorious bloodlust as evidenced by his crimson eyes, his ability to move silently, his terrifying horned and fanged form. No, this man was afraid of his very make-up, the seidr that flowed through his purple veins. Shifting, one clawed hand supporting his stomach, the other hoisting his large body out of the deck chair, he made to leave. “I’m terribly sorry, Captain Rogers. I didn’t know.”

  
He began to waddle towards the glass door of the penthouse, his back, ridged and frosted, to the ‘immortal’ mortal. “Loki.” The Asgardian prince stopped, facing the doors but seeing the nervous face of the soldier reflected back to him. “It’s alright, Captain. I do not want to cause you distress.”

  
“Loki,” the man began again. “You do not need to hide or make yourself uncomfortable for me. What is fear if not something to be conquered? Especially if it’s as irrational as ice.”

  
“No fear, Captain Rogers, is irrational.” The Jotunn turned to face the blonde man. “All fears are derived from something real and being stuck in ice for seventy years would be enough to scar anyone. I am going to go now, so that you can enjoy the rest of your afternoon.”

  
With a scraping noise, the soldier stood rapidly. “And I am telling you that that is not necessary. You should not have to leave if you do not want to, Loki. I was enjoying your company, minus the ice. It’s nice, to sit and relish the now.”

  
“Well, could you _relish the now_ not on my balcony,” a snide voice cut in. Loki turned to face Tony Stark, the inventor’s arms crossed over his chest. “I may tolerate having you under my roof, Frost Giant -” Loki flinched, the slang term cutting him deeply. “But I do not want to see you, I don’t want to hear you, I don’t want a reminder of you. NOW GO!”

  
Taken aback, Loki flinched and hung his horned head to hide the tears that burned his cheeks. He quickly waddled past the Man of Iron and entered the penthouse, retracting the frost that coated his body as the AC washed over it. The penthouse was empty, but the Jotunn did not stay. Instead, he retreated to the elevator and punched in the button for Thor’s chambers. As the doors slid shut, his sensitive ears picked up the sound of Steve’s voice as he too entered the penthouse calling his name. It did nothing to stop the Jotunn, the heavy titanium elevator doors shutting the man’s shouting out. When the metal contraption stopped on Thor’s floor, Loki swiftly exited, his eyes nearly blinded by hot tears. He threw open the apartment doors and hurriedly rushed to his bedroom, clambered into his nest bed, wrapped himself in the blankets and furs, and curled into a ball, his knees nearly up to his chin as his shins parted around the tiny planet he bore.


	55. Chapter 55

**New York City - Avenger’s Tower**

  
Asha returned sometime later to the deep, resonant purring that accompanied the Jotunn while he slept. She felt a little bit ashamed that she had left him with Steve for the day, but, at the same time, she knew that he had left her with Bruce because he had seen what the man had just confirmed: Two people from two very different worlds, brought together by one extraordinary man and his two miracle babies, who completed each other.

  
The day had been wonderful. Asha felt like she had learned so much and not only about mortal medicine and what her responsibilities would be on the ‘big day,’ as Bruce referred to it. More importantly, she discovered that Doctor Banner typically got consumed by his work. It was a way for him to forget about his own ‘cursed existence,’ as he referred to the ‘Other Guy.’ The Vanir woman was not bothered by it in the least. He had not had an unplanned incident in twenty years, his alter ego well in check and under control. He had not said as much, the intelligent woman had inferred it. They had spent the day discussing their childhoods, their likes and dislikes, their shared interests, and their hopes and aspirations. The day had been delightful, thanks to Loki, and she and the mortal man had begun to make plans for another day. She believed that it was referred to on Midgard as a ‘date.’

  
The small woman wound her way towards her room, humming lightly to herself. Pausing at the open door of the Jotunn’s room, she stopped. His ruby eyes were starring at her, the purring still rattling around in his chest. He looked distressed and very upset, his arms and legs wrapped around his middle, traces of frost on his cheeks, streaks left by tears.

  
“My Lord...Loki? What is wrong?” She whispered rushing to his bedside. She reached out a hand and gently brushed hair off of his face and away from his entangled horns. The man just shook his head and closed his startling eyes. Asha’s brow furrowed. “Are you feeling alright? Are you sick? Is it the babies? Should I go get Bruce?”

  
At the name of the doctor, Loki’s eyes shot open. “No,” he growled, sounding almost like the purr he had been manufacturing seconds earlier. “I am fine. I just want to be alone.”

  
The Vanir knew that, though she was loath to do it, leaving the prince alone would be the best thing she could do. Slowly and deliberately, she eased herself off the edge of the nest and finished untangling his incredibly long hair. “Of course,” she murmured. “I’ll be in the apartment in case you need anything. Just give a shout and I’ll be here.” She smiled, trying to brighten his sullen features.

  
“Thank you” was the only reply she received before his scarlet eyes closed again, sending rivulets down his streaked face, and the purring began anew.  
__________________________________

  
Loki was in considerably better spirits as the week progressed, his previous distress over but not forgotten. He spent the daylight hours in his apartment, reading to the babies a variety of material from fairy tales and folklore to the latest reports and agreements from Asgard in an attempt to maintain his princely duties, napping in the afternoons, and chatting with Asha, Bruce, Steve, Natasha, and once, Clint. He avoided Tony, not wanting the man’s poisonous thoughts in his life, and Tony avoided him, not visiting or, according to his other, more frequent visitors, mentioning him or acknowledging his presence.

  
As part of his attempt to avoid the Man of Iron and his aversion to horned, blue, pregnant men, and his need to get out of the gaudy red, blue, and silver walls that surrounded him, the Jotunn formulated a plan. He woke early, long before the sun, partially because of the five pounds of baby playing soccer with his bladder and partially because he enjoyed the pool. The area was deserted from midnight until 8am, so Loki spent his early mornings floating from about 4 until 7:30.

  
This all began on his third day on Midgard, when he had successfully snuck out of the flat without waking the watchful Asha and taken the elevator to the pool level. Jarvis had attempted to waylay him, but the grumpy Jotunn was able to persuade the A.I. that the best idea was to let the moody, pregnant man relieve his aching joints, back, and pelvis in the pool when the ice he created wouldn’t be in danger of freezing anyone.

  
The pool deck was still very humid, the steam from the hot tubs and sauna leaking into the tiled room. The windows, floor to ceiling, just like every other floor in the shining tower, revealed the stars, the lights of the city extinguished for a couple more hours, and made Loki smile.  
This was not his home, this palace of glass on Midgard. His home was among the stars, the zillions of stars that twinkled back against the deep navy blue, with his daughter, his adopted brother and sister-in-law, his mother, his half-brother and brother-in-law, his nephew. Yes, there were people here that accepted him, even a couple that loved him, but with Tony Stark constantly reminding him that he was an unwanted monster: the ravager of Midgard, the Destroyer of New York City; a freak: not truly male or female, pregnant but not with his own children, too hideous, too strange, too unnatural, destined to be alone.

  
His burden, if anyone could call it that, gave him a rather forceful kick in the ribs. “Oof,” he grunted, rubbing his stomach before sliding into the water the heat stinging his skin before cooling to a comfortable warmth that seeped into his weary muscles and relieved some of his joints. It eliminated his dark thoughts and let his body give in to its wants and whims.

  
The Jotunn sighed, relishing the feeling of the water cradling his swollen body. He discovered that he could float in water, his body, through it’s power over ice, was buoyant. His ebony hair floated around his head and horns, tangling and untangling with the swirl of the currents created by the filter.

  
_Mr. Laufeyson, a voice woke him with a start. It is now 7:30. The pool will be opening for use in a half hour. Also, Ms. Asha has just woken and will be checking on you momentarily._

  
Loki righted himself within the water, pushing tiny icebergs out of the way. “Thank you, Jarvis,” he called, his gravelly voice echoing around the large, tiled space as he clacked across the expanse, grabbed a thin towel, and entered the elevator.

  
Asha was waiting for him, her arms folded over her chest, a smirk playing across her lips and a dark eyebrow cocked. “I’ve got your bath drawn, luke warm, just the way you like it.”

  
“Thank you,” he murmured, smiling as he towel dried his hair in the hallway.

  
“What would you like for breakfast?” she said, drinking in his frost-coated body and waist-length hair.

  
Loki paused in his frantic drying, realizing that it would be rather ridiculous. “A haircut?” he replied snarkily. “And some scrambled eggs with a tiny bit of cheese. Did you really need to ask?”


	56. Chapter 56

**New York City - Avenger’s Tower**

  
The rainbow light gave way to a blinding sun, reflected off of thousands of facets of glass. It caused the travelers to blink, their full arms, raising to shield their eyes from the glare. Thor was the first to move, practically yanking Jane behind him as he ran towards the glass doors. Aiko couldn’t hold in her laugh as her uncle looked like a five year old on his birthday or Christmas and her aunt rolled her eyes at the behavior as her husband’s enthusiasm played in her eyes. The teen could hear a soft, dignified chuckle beside her as her grandmother observed the King and Queen of Asgard.

  
Shouldering her bags, Aiko walked into the Avenger’s penthouse to meet her father whom she hadn’t seen in what could only be classified as a really long, lonely week. And was greeted by Tony Stark.

  
Not caring about being rude, she blurted, “Where is my _father_?”

  
“Hello to you too, Princess,” he replied sarcastically. He gave a tiny bow, his greying head shifting towards the floor.

  
“Yes, where is Loki? Is he alright?” Thor’s boom resounded like a foghorn in the high-ceilinged chamber.

  
“What is with everyone?” the mortal replied, exasperated. “It’s like the entire world revolves around _Loki._ It’s all ‘Can you order more steak, Tony? Loki ate it all,’ ‘Have you felt the babies kick yet, Tony? Isn’t it wonderful?,’ and ‘Have you been to have tea with the Prince, Tony?,’ ‘Oh, thanks for the invite, Tony, but we’re going to have lunch with Loki,’ and, God forbid one more ‘Can you turn the AC in Thor’s apartments down, Tony? Loki’s too hot.’ Well, I for one, am **done**. I cannot see what everyone else sees in that guy...girl?...alien...thing. It’s still the _thing_ that destroyed my city and my home, the same home, mind you that **I** am _generously_ letting it live in.” His arms folded across his chest. He would have looked intimidating if he wasn’t surrounded by four rather pissed Aesir.

  
“Be careful how you speak. _He_ is my brother,” Thor cautioned, his own arms bulging as they crossed his massive chest.

  
“I hate to tell you this, Point Break, but _it’s not your **brother** -_ ”

  
“ **STOP**!” shouted Aiko as she advanced on the aged man. Her hand whipped up, a single finger abruptly stopping inches from the tip of his nose. “ _How dare you say those things about my father_. Even _you_ cannot deny that he is my father. His blood runs in my veins, his seidr at my fingertips.” A sharp ice shard began to bloom on the finger, causing the mortal’s shocked eyes to cross as the implement grew. “I know that my father has done some awful things to this world, this city, this very tower. To you. I also know that he is not the same man that committed those acts. You, Mr. Stark, are letting your own bias and bigoted opinions get in your way of seeing that.” She took a shuddering breath. “Now, please, tell me where my father is.”

  
The mortal gulped, watching the ice slowly melt. “He should be in the Asgardian suite. He hasn’t left for days. I, uh, I think it’s because of me.”

  
Frigga stepped forward, noticing the break through that the man was having, gently laid a hand on his shoulder. “Man of Iron. We are hosting a small banquet in my sons’ apartment this evening. It would be an honor if you would attend.”

  
The man glumly nodded, his eyes wide as he processed what had just occurred. The four Aesir made their way to the elevator, shifting their parcels and packages. Their jovial moods returned quickly when the elevator doors opened on the open door of the scarlet and silver apartment.

  
“Wow Thor, you  really like red and blue,” Aiko breathed, setting her bundles down in the entry way.

  
“Aiko?” A familiar rough voice sounded on her left. A pair of horns, curved and glinting in the sun, poked up from behind a high backed chair. The teenager sprinted to him as he labored to heave himself out of the chair, her strong arms wrapping around his middle, the thin space between his protruding stomach and his ample bosom, helping him stand. She rested her hot cheek against his icy stomach, her hands splayed across his ridged back. She sighed as she felt strong, cool arms encircle her and draw her even closer to the body she clung to. A soft kiss brushed across the top of her head, accompanied by a whispered, “I have missed you, my Child of Love. So very much.”

  
Aiko smiled, snuggling into the soft fabric of his breast band, murmuring, “I love you, Blue.”

  
“I love you too, Aiko. More than anything else in all the Nine.” Another kiss planted itself on the top of her head.

  
A throat cleared by the door, breaking the reunited couple apart and revealing the Jotunn’s true size. “Wow, Brother,” Thor said, stepping to the blue man and embracing him before holding him out at arms length. “I must say that you have grow tremendously in our time apart.”

  
Loki smiled, his fangs flashing. “ _They_ have grown, Brother. I have just stretched to accommodate them.”

  
Jane, likewise, hugged Loki before splaying her tiny hands across the blue expanse of his abdomen. “Hello Little Ones. Mommy has missed you!”

  
“And Daddy!” Thor chimed in, wrapping his arms around his wife’s slim shoulders. Loki looked up from the couple to meet the eyes of Frigga. The woman, looking as regal as ever, glided forward and cupped his face in her hands.

  
“Oh, Loki, my son. I have been watching you, and I have brought what you requested for this evening.”

  
“Thank you, Mother,” he replied, his face becoming dutiful with a more reserved happiness.

  
Her grey eyes searched his face, looking for his reasoning behind her youngest son’s decision. She had given up long ago trying to figure out any plan that Loki concocted, but it certainly did not keep her curiosity at bay.

  
He smiled, secretively, his decision not entirely made as he reflected on the events of the past week. Aiko, ever the astute observer, reach out and took his cold hand in her smaller warm one. His eyes dropped to hers, sensing her love and kindness, his smile grew reflective. “Blue,” his daughter whispered, “We ran in to Tony upstairs.”

  
That was all she needed to say. She watched his eyes widen, his smile turn into a frightened frown, his lips pursed slightly. His face drained infinitesimally, all that it was capable of in it’s royal blue shade and unnoticeable to anyone without a trained and watchful eye. His head rose higher, not breaking eye contact, but pulling away, as if he was trying to shift away from the topic, from the conversation. Thor and Jane were silent, as was Frigga. Asha had returned bearing gifts of tea, hot chocolate, and biscuits, the tray’s contents rattling slightly. The soft sound filled the room like a gunshot.

  
“I’m not sure what he’s said and done to you, but I took care of him. He’ll be nicer from now on. But besides that, I want you to know that whatever bullies say or do, it comes from their weakness, not yours...The best revenge against bullies is absolutely, resolutely, never to let them change who you are.”

  
“I told you that, when you were ten and those boys beat you up,” he murmured quietly, remembering that day vividly. It was the day he told her his story and she had accepted him.

  
Aiko smiled. “Yes you did, Blue, and that’s why I’m repeating it now. Because, Blue, you’re perfect, the best dad any girl could ask for.”

  
“The best brother, too. I’m sure Helblindi would agree,” Thor chimed in.

  
“And the best brother-in-law, which I know Elksa would second,” Jane smiled, stroking the blue expanse that stretched before her.

  
“A thoughtful friend,” called Asha, back in the kitchen preparing his special cup of chocolate.

  
“A wonderful son, whom any mother would be proud to call her own,” Frigga reflected aloud, a soft glow of love in her eyes. “A talented sorcerer, a just and skillful counselor.”

  
“My hero,” Aiko whispered, hugging his arm as tears filled his ruby eyes and he bit his lips as he avoided eye contact with anyone in the room.

  
His voice was rough, riddled with tears that threatened to overflow. “You- you think I’m a-a hero?”

  
“You’re more than _a_ hero,” the teenager beamed up at him. “ _You’re **my** hero_.” The tears fell, leaving hot streaks across his ridged face, his lips quivering.

  
“Brother,” Thor said softly, placing a large hand on the other man’s slim shoulder, “I think I speak for both Jane and I when I say that you are _our_ hero, as well. You are bringing us the most precious and wonderful gift anyone can give. You are _changing our lives_.”

  
The family converged, arms wrapped around each other as Loki was reminded that for every egomaniac like Tony Stark who did not care about others so long as it made himself feel better, there were five other people who could not live without him.   
__________________________________

 

In spite of the little uplifting family reunion that he had had earlier in the day, as well as Aiko saying that she ‘took care of’ Stark, Loki was still nervous leaving the Asgardian suite during the daylight hours. His appointment with Doctor Banner, however, was not something that he could not attend, especially with his entire family entourage jabbering away around him, the elevator doing nothing to contain their excitement. Bruce met the family at the elevator, a brief look of overwhelmed shock flickered across his face as he took in the four Aesir, the small Vanir, and his Jotunn patient. The mortal schooled his face quickly, replacing his widened eyes with a broad smile. “I’m so glad to see you all,” he stated. “I’m just going to take Loki for now and you can join us for the ultrasound, is that alright?”

  
The royal family grumbled amongst themselves as the pregnant man and his doctor looked on, exchanging raised eyebrows and rolled eyes. It was only after Aiko pointed out that her father might not want everyone there for his more private exams, that the family agreed to wait outside the door. “Thank you,” Bruce smiled again, relieved. He did not want to imagine what this might be like in September. He and Loki started off down the hall, leaving his chattering family behind.

  
The tests and physical went well. Loki had gained about 20 pounds, though Bruce estimated that about 2 pound of breast and 5 to 6 pounds of baby, plus the expansion of the uterus, amniotic fluid, and the fact that, if the Jotunn was only carrying one baby, he’d have reached the size and shape of a 36 week pregnant woman, the weight gain was not that much in retrospect. That did not keep the horned man from frowning at the scale as he cradled his distended stomach, leaning back to maintain his balance and relieve some of his lower back pain. His body, in spite of his rounded torso, had maintained it’s toned physique, the extra weight arranging itself only on his front and in the slight swelling of his ankles. In fact, in retrospect, his baby bump wasn’t that large yet. He could still see most of his toes and their claws. Truly, Loki realized, he was lucky thus far and he hoped to stay that way.

  
He sighed back a groan as he settled in the ‘pregnancy throne,’ the babies very much awake and seemed to be kicking all of his organs simultaneously. The shifting of his weight and the babies sent him into another brief Braxton-Hicks, causing him to lean back, away from the strange sensation. Bruce observed the Jotunn’s discomfort as he collected his materials and instruments.

  
“How often?”

 

Loki, the restrictive pressure dissipating, asked, “What?”

  
“The Braxton-Hicks. Raise your legs, please.”

  
The god complied, swinging his legs up into the little rests, revealing his nether region to the mortal. “They come about two times a day and only last for a few seconds at a time. Not unbearable.”

  
“Good to know,” Bruce said as his hands pressed down on the blue expanse of the Jotunn’s stomach, causing the babies to wriggle. His brown eyes met the red pair that followed his movements. “You’re awful roomy. The babies have a whole bunch of room and really aren’t crowded at all. Are you having problems with digestion? Breathing?”

  
Loki frowned and shook his head, his horns clacking against the headrest. “No, none. Is that unusual?”

 

“Yes,” the doctor replied. “Very.”

  
“Well...um...maybe it’s because I am what I am.” He gasped as the doctor, his warm hands never stopping through their conversation, inserted the expanding devise into his birth canal. “Helblindi birthed his heir at 75 pounds and three and a half feet long. Apparently, Aksel was only a bit above average in size. I guess, due to my species, my own offspring would be half-Jotunn and have the potential of being Aksel’s size. I guess I’m just built that way.”

  
The flashlight flicked on, illuminating the stretched hospital gown. “We’re looking great, Loki. No signs of labor. Of course, if I had that much room, I wouldn’t be wanting to leave any time soon either.” The mortal chuckled as the Jotunn shuddered, recalling his brother’s own labor experience as well as how Helblindi had spent the last month on bed rest. The thought of being so large he couldn’t move was rather unappealing, but so was forcing two large, living beings out of his body. The light clicked off and the expanding devise was gently removed. Loki slowly lowered his legs with a sigh, the babies kicking and punching as his weight shifted.

  
“Would you like to get dressed and I’ll get the rest of your family?” Bruce was already heading towards the door. The Jotunn slid off the sticky faux leather, his ridges on his legs and buttocks catching on the seams. Slowly, he gathered his clothing and slid on his loincloth. He attempted, and failed, to wrap his breasts. Instead, he had succeeded in rousing a thick, yellow liquid from his nipples.

  
“Doctor Banner!” He yelled out the door. “Don’t let them in yet! I need to speak with you!”

  
Bruce rounded the door, out of breath, looking completely frazzled and terrified. “Loki! Is everything okay?” He took in the man, his breasts exposed and oozing. “Oh...”

  
“What is happening to me?” The gravelly voice was small, corresponding with a pair of wide, ruby eyes. The Jotunn’s hands wrapped and unwrapped themselves in his gold embroidered breast band.

  
The mortal doctor laid a hot hand on Loki’s cool shoulder while his other hand rested over a leaking breast. “May I?” he asked, looking up into the other man’s face.

  
Loki nodded, afraid of what he was producing. Surprisingly, Bruce took a strip of gauze from his pocket and swabbed a bit of the thick liquid and sniffed it. “Colostrum. It’s breast milk, very rich in nutrients for the babies. Nothing to be worried about.”

  
“But...why is it coming out now?” Loki held the wrap up to his bosom in an attempt to staunch the flow.

  
“It’ll leak now and again,” Bruce said, taking the soft fabric out of the ebony claws of the taller man. “There will be plenty left for the babies, don’t you worry.” He began to wind the band around the other man’s chest as the blue chest chuckled.

  
“Oh, I’m not nursing them. Jane wants to hold her babies while they eat, so they’ll be bottle fed with formula.” Bruce just nodded, not knowing what to say in response to that statement.

  
Bruce and Loki finished their wrapping of his oozing breasts while an obnoxious pounding rattled the door.

  
“Is everything alright, Brother? Banner?”

  
“Everything’s fine, Thor. You can come in,” Loki called, finishing the binding as he settled his bulk back onto the pink ‘pregnancy throne’. The door was practically thrown back on it’s hinges admitting the King and Queen of Asgard, the All-Mother of the Nine, and his daughter who beamed at him and gave him a wink, calming his jitters.

  
“Alright, let’s calm down and take our seats.” Bruce pulled the ultrasound machine over to the Jotunn and took his seat near Loki’s knees. Jane took her traditional seat on Loki’s right and Aiko took the stool on his left. Thor stood behind his wife, a tower of anticipation as he squeezed his wife’s slim shoulders. Frigga pulled a wheeled desk chair next to Aiko and Asha stood behind, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as she took a quick glance at the mortal doctor.

  
“Okay ladies and gentlemen of the court,” the doctor intoned as he squeezed copious amounts of warm gel on the blue expanse of the Jotunn’s stomach. “I present to you: Baby number one!” The wand, pressing uncomfortably on Loki’s unsurprisingly full bladder, quickly located the greatly changed infants. The detail that the family saw in the grainy image on the screen was unbelievable. Bruce began talking the family though the image, “Baby number one is right here. I am pretty sure that she is a girl, and quite a beauty, if I may say so. She’s a leggy one-” The wand travelled down Loki’s right hip, emphasizing her long, elegant limbs. “She’s got a pair of large eyes. It even looks like she might have a bit of hair!” He chuckled as he snapped pictures and Baby number one squirmed under the camera lens.

  
“Alright, let look for Baby number two. He shouldn’t be too hard to find...” He shifted the wand across Loki’s full bladder before finding the sprawling form of the royal heir. “Now this little boy is a bit bigger than his sister, a bit stockier as well. Notice his broader shoulders, longer torso.” He began to snap pictures of the heir while Thor and Jane oohed and awed over their bundles of joy. Aiko reached out and took her father’s hand, clutching it to her chest as she looked pridefully at the images Bruce displayed on the monitor.

  
As the whirring of the printer began, the doctor turned to face the small family. “We have somethings we need to discuss. As of this week, 28 weeks, the babies could come at anytime and would have a very high likelihood of survival without any adverse side effects. We need to talk birth plan.”

  
Loki closed his eyes against the pressure. He was not ready to think about the bloody, sweaty, anguishing process at the end of this adventure. Bruce, however, had a point. “I will be the one pushing the babies out of my...um...yeah. And that’s it.”

  
Aiko gently squeezed the hand she had clutched to her heart. “And I will be right here, giving you all the support you need, Blue.”

  
“No!” Loki practically shouted. “No, no no. You will not be anywhere near this.”

  
The teen opened her mouth to rebuke her father and was cut off by the mortal doctor. “I agree with Loki, Aiko. You will most certainly not be in the room. Instead, you will be our runner, gathering anything we might need.” The doctor’s focus shifted to the tall, regal woman behind the now sullen teenager. “My Lady, you will be on seidr control. I have never done any of this before, much less with someone who could burn the building down in an instant. I will need your expertise in case Loki becomes...distressed.”

  
The mortal continued. “Asha will function as the nurse and we have already discussed her tasks.” His brown eyes shifted to the hulking blonde god. “Thor, you will be holding Loki.”

  
Thor cocked an eyebrow and frowned. “I’m going to be doing what?”

  
“Well, I guess holding’s the wrong word. Um... You’ll be propping him up.”

  
“We’ll need to provide him with a blanket or barrier of some kind,” Loki chimed in. “I’ll be sweating and it will freeze the instant in breaks out across my skin. I don’t want to burn him.”

  
“I’m sure that can be arranged. Jane,” Bruce continued, not dropping the ball once it had begun rolling. “You will be moral support as well as any physical support that may be needed. Are we all clear on what is expected of us?”

  
The room was filled with mutters of consent, some more enthusiastic than others. “Alright, thank you, and I will see you all later.”


	57. Chapter 57

**New York City - Avenger’s Tower**

  
A few hours had passed since the family had returned to the Asgardian apartment and Loki, looking up from the tedious treaties Thor had brought for him, observed his family. Frigga and Asha were bustling about the kitchen, his sharp ears picking up the clatter of pots, pans, and dishes, while his nose was tickled with a variety of rich scents. Jane had taken the desk beside the wide windows, her nose inches from the charts she had laid out along the smooth surface. Her research, connecting seidr to science was fascinating, even if he only understood about half of what the smaller woman said. From what he had gathered during their brief conversations over the last few weeks, she was trying to understand the Void and the implications that it held as well as ways to traverse it’s vast expanse of nothingness. The thought of his Queen exploring the very space where he was mercilessly brutalized and brainwashed made him incredibly nervous, but, in spite of voicing his concerns multiple times, he knew that she would not stop until she felt her research was done.

  
His brother sat in one of the overstuffed armchairs, his own attention focused on the paperwork that Loki’s attention had just vacated. These treaties, arranged with Nifleheim and the ever greedy Dwarves that resided there, were incredibly tedious but much needed. It was no secret that the Dwarves created the best weaponry, and, while the Aesir hoped to avoid war and confrontation for the foreseeable future, the brothers and their counsel understood the need for preparedness.

  
Loki’s ruby gaze continued to rove about the room, scanning for the one person that he truly wanted to see. His daughter, usually quietly sketching quietly in a remote corner, engrossed in her work, was not in the living room. In fact, the Jotunn did not recall seeing or speaking with her since their brief discussion in Bruce’s office. Loki sighed. _I screwed up. She only wanted to be supportive and I pushed her away._ Determined to make things right, he slowly heaved his body up to standing, gripping the arm of the couch tightly and waddled towards the rest of the apartment.

  
He quickly traversed the bustling kitchen, pausing to pop a piece of seared steak into his mouth, the hot, tangy juices flowing over his tongue, and plant a loving kiss on his mother’s warm, soft cheek. “It’s delicious, Mother,” he murmured, causing the older woman to smile as he kept moving through the kitchen.

  
The dining room, set for the feast that would be held that evening with shining place settings, name cards, silverware, and candlesticks, was empty. Loki paused to watch the sun play across the buildings through the floor to ceiling windows, the gold color contrasting with the silver wallpaper that lined the other three walls of the large room. Tearing his ruby eyes away from the sparkling skyline, he continued toward the bedrooms, only to find his daughter’s room unoccupied. About to give up, he decided to check his own chambers.

  
At first glance, the Jotunn felt his heart drop. The emerald curtains were partially drawn across the wall of windows, fluttering in the slight breeze from the cranked up AC unit. His dresser, rather superfluous due to his lack of substantial clothing, was cluttered with books, loose parchment, and half empty bottles of prenatal vitamins. The small mirror above the dresser, reflecting his gigantic nest bed, flickered with a bit of movement. A tight, shivering ball, lay in the lowest point of his nest bed, nearly imperceptible from the doorway.

  
Loki hesitated a clawed hand raised to the wood of his door but afraid to knock. Now that he had found Aiko, he did not know what to do. They had never fought before, never had a disagreement, especially not one so public or, as the Jotunn could only surmise, so hurtful. He gently rapped one knuckle on the doorframe, the sound splitting the silence of the room and the hallway. “Aiko?” he whispered, his voice low and gravely.

  
A sniffle returned his question but did not invite him in. “May I come in?”

  
Another sniffle followed by a tear-filled, “Do I even have the _option_ of saying no? You’re just going to do what _you_ want anyway.” The hostility made him step back, shocked. Of course, his daughter was right, even if she had said no, he would have gone to her anyway. His horned feet waddled across the threshold and he groaned as he sat his front-heavy body onto the edge of the bed.

  
“Aiko, we need to talk,” he whispered, reaching a hand out to stroke her hair before recoiling, unsure if she would want him to touch her at this moment. The teenager gave no response.

  
“Oh-Okay,” he stammered, taken aback by the lack of acknowledgement that his child was giving him. “I’ll start.” He paused, his ruby eyes shifting away from the balled up figure on the bed and looking at his reflection in the small mirror above the dresser. “I have never done this before - being a parent. I probably never will again. Not because I do not enjoy it - **never** that - but because I could never love anyone else as much as I love you, Aiko. You are the best part of my life, the best part of me. The only part that matters.”

  
He paused again, exhaling slowly as he began to feel tears form at the corners of his eyes. “I-I do not want you to be upset with me because of what I said earlier, that I do not want you with me when....when...” He stopped and began anew. “I do not want you to be scarred from witnessing that experience. It will be bloody, and brutal, and anguishing, and hellish, and I do not want my angel, my light, _my life_ , there. I do not want you to see me that way. In fact, I do not want anyone seeing me that way, which is why Bruce, Asha, and I are going to be the only beings in that room - Thor just doesn’t know it yet. It is a selfish notion of mine, to do this alone when I know that there are so many people who love and support me, you most of all. But...I need to be sequestered in my privacy, maintaining my illusion of strength, of my _manhood,_ that will surely crumble to nothing as I labor. It is something that I feel the need to do. For my vanity and selfishness, I am deeply sorry. Can you find it in you heart to forgive me, the horrible monster that I am? Can you let me in again, my Child of Love?”

  
The only response was another sniffle from the center of the bed. Discouraged, Loki heaved himself up, and said, “Well, I...um, I guess I’ll just be going, then. Give you some privacy.” He slowly moved towards the door, his clawed hands resting underneath his stomach that housed two, thankfully, sleeping babies. As he reached the door jam, he paused and slowly turned back towards his child. “I-I love you, Aiko, so very much and _nothing_ is ever going to change that.” He turned to leave with a weighty sigh.

  
“Wait.”

  
The soft, melodic voice was music to his ears, even in it’s raspy, tearful state. He turned back towards the room, a hand resting on the doorframe while the other splayed on his stomach. His daughter was sitting, arms curled around her legs, with traces of tears clinging to her pink cheeks. Her hair had begun to come undone, the fly-aways framing her disheveled state, but illuminating her striking blue eyes. Barely louder than a whisper, the woman said, “I forgive you, Blue. I understand why you wouldn’t want me there even though I’ve already seen Helblindi-Uncle do it.”

  
Loki smiled one-sidedly as he took a couple of slow, deliberate steps back into his room. “I know you did, but Helblindi and I are two very different people, uh, Jotunn. If I had had any say in the matter, you would not have seen that birth either.”

  
“Why? I am a grow woman, even by Aesir standards. I have gone to all of my sex ed classes. I understand what is happening and I want to be there, holding your hand, encouraging you, supporting you...”

  
“Darling,” he cut her off with a raised hand. “I know and I appreciate it so very much, but I am asking you, as a matter of my own hubris, please remain outside the room. I am a monster and I do not want anyone to witness my strangeness in my body’s finest hour. I fear that I will never be viewed the same way, even by those who love me most, that I will no longer be a prince, or an advisor, or your father, or...or a - a _man_. I cannot lose that image, that dream, that hope of mine to remain as I am,... **no** , as I _was_ , with an audience. Please understand that it is something I must do alone.”

  
Her blue eyes searched his face, his own rubies filled with sadness, regret, remorse, and fear of rejection. A single tear played at the corner of his right eye, shining in the light from the window. “Blue,” she murmured, “Please come here.” Her slim, warm hand patted his body pillow. Confused, he obeyed, sliding down into the bed, and into his daughter’s arms.

  
Reflexively, the Jotunn wrapped his own arms tightly around his daughter’s thin body, her heat saturating his every pore. He gently pressed his cool lips into her hair. “I love you so, so much,” he whispered.

  
“Not nearly as much as I love you, Dad. Warts and all.”  
_____________________________________

  
The father and his daughter remained wound around each other for the rest of the afternoon. Loki, exhausted emotionally, mentally, and physically drifted off to sleep, his deep purr permeating the apartment, nearly causing his brother to have a heart attack at the strange and abrupt noise the rumbled through the apartment.

  
The mountainous blonde quickly leapt up from the chair that he had reclined in, reading the mountainous pile of paperwork he had brought from Asgard, and sprinted towards the source of the sound, contemplating whether he should summon Mjölnir or not. He could do with a good wrestling match, fighting his foe with his bare hands. He slowed as he entered the hallway leading to the master bedroom suite, the other rooms being occupied by his family and Asha. The source of the strange sound appeared to be coming from his brother’s rooms, causing the King to pick up his pace, worried for his unborn children and his younger sibling.

  
“Bro-” As he rounded the corner of the door, he stopped. The sound, now rather obnoxiously loud yet comforting, appeared to be coming from the bed. His niece looked up as he entered, removing one hand from her sleeping father’s back and raising it to her smiling lips. She gently kissed the blue, ridged brow across from her, causing the deep rumble to stutter slightly as a sigh exited the man, only for it to begin again. The woman eased herself away from the slumbering Jotunn and off the bed. Grabbing her uncle’s arm, she pulled him out of the room and into the hallway, shutting the door to the bedroom behind her with a muted click.

  
“What is it Thor?” She smiled up at her would-be father, observing his shocked and curious expression.

  
“I...uh...I was worried. I...That noise...” The King of Asgard stammered, his eyes searching, unbelieving.

  
“Oh,” Aiko breathed. “You didn’t know about the purring.” She smiled as her uncle’s eyes went wide. “Do me a favor: Don’t say anything - He’s extremely self-conscious about it.”

  
“When did this happen?”

  
“Um...when he developed his Jotunn vocal chords?” she chuckled humorously, shaking her head. “I’m not actually sure. It’s certainly become more frequent with the pregnancy. I think it’s a way of lulling the babies to sleep and relaxing his nerves and tired muscles. I-I really like it, actually. It’s comforting and, when he’s rumbling, I know that he’s happy.”

  
She beamed up at the huge, blonde man in front of her. He smiled back at her with a goofy grin. “I’m just relieved to know that it’s not a threat. It is a bit...unsettling, though. Such a strange sound to be coming out of my _brother_ of all people.” He paused, his hands rubbing his suddenly tired face. A large, beefy hand fell to the small goddess’ shoulder and began to steer her towards her assigned room. She sat on her bed, her uncle beside her, an enormous arm around her slim shoulders.

  
“Aiko,” he began hesitantly, “It’s so strange, you know, seeing him like this. There are days when I still expect to see the old Loki materialize in the room, you know. Have him grab me by the hand and convince me to ditch whatever boring lesson we were subject to, mischief in his emerald eyes instead of the red ones. Oh, All-Father! Aiko, those were the days. We didn’t have a care in the world. There was a time, just after his sixteenth name day. We were both recognized adults, though I was, um...168, I think. Anyway, I remember his excitement at the prospect of becoming a man and he had this crazy plan that he needed my help with. Loki is not the God of Mischief for nothing, my dear.” Thor chuckled as he recalled the precious memory.

  
“He was determined to kill his own fell beast for the center piece of his Name Day feast. He also wanted it to be a bilgesnipe! Oh, those creatures are stupid but also scaly with enormous antlers and very dangerous when provoked. We spent a day just tracking the creature and then, instead of waiting for an opportune moment, say when the bilgesnipe was slumbering, my brother just strode into the clearing like he owned the place, a spear clutched in one hand, fire playing at the fingertips of the other. Being as protective as I am, I ran out to stop his idiotic move only to discover that his grand plan was to use me as a distraction! I was chasing an illusion. The real Loki was perched high in the trees, waiting for me to run by, a furious bilgesnipe at my heels so that he could attack and kill it from above. We had quite a row after that adventure, but Loki had his bilgesnipe and I learned to never go hunting with him alone again.”

  
The older god stopped, the smile slipping from his face, as he whispered, “So much has changed, but...but, you know what? No matter what, I still see him as my little brother, full of mischief and way too smart for his own good.”

  
“And you, you big blonde oaf, will always be my older brother, overly protective to a fault.” The rough voice of the Jotunn entered the room. The pair on the bed jumped, startled by how silently the pregnant man moved.

  
Loki was leaning against the door jam, his arms crossed underneath his bosom, a smile spreading across his lips, a hint of fang playing at his bottom lip. “Now come give me a hug!” He threw his ridged, blue arms open, pushing his bulk away from the white trim of the door frame. Aiko launched herself into her father’s waiting arms, an enormous grin plastered across her face. He caught her with an ‘oof,’ staggering backwards as the force of the small, warm body met his unbalanced stance. His cool lips met the top of the brunette head that rested on his inflated chest. His eyes shot up, meeting the stormy blue of his brother’s orbs. “I’ve still got a free arm, Brother.” He wiggled the fingers at the end of his long, azure arm.

 

The King of Asgard smirked and rose from the bed. “Well, if you insist. I guess it is the least I can do, Brother.”

  
His bulk quickly filled Loki’s empty arm and the Jotunn rested his Horns against the taller man’s forehead. The family relished in their closeness, the babies battering the inside of the blue man’s womb furiously as the heat from the two Aesir permeated the cold expanse of the Jotunn’s torso. “Wow, Brother. You are. _Freezing!_ ”

  
Loki chuckled, beaming. “Frost Giant!” he crowed, gently thumping his horns against the blonde god’s hairline. Aiko snuggled closer to his cool side and he knew that he was forgiven.


	58. Chapter 58

**New York City - Avenger’s Tower**

  
Promptly at six o’clock, the royal family of Asgard, sans their patriarch, stood by the door of the blue and silver apartment. Loki was nervously wringing his hands in front of his stomach, his head bowed as he contemplated what he was about to do. His mother, a wise woman, had tried to understand his reasoning behind the decision that he had made, but he knew that she could not guess the true reason, a fact that was easting away at him as he thought of the lives around him, his family, and his future.

  
A sharp knock cut through his thoughts, causing his head to snap up, eyes fixed intently on the door. Asha opened it to reveal the form of Captain America, the ever gentlemanly Steve Rogers in military dress, and the Man of Iron, who looked surprisingly curious, though distant. Loki smiled. The super soldier, driven by honor, gave the Jotunn hope in humanity, just as the man beside him simultaneously tore it down.

  
Frigga, being the matriarch of the family as well as the figure of highest rank, greeted the two men at the door. “Welcome to our home, Captain, Man of Iron.” She was smiling with the distant, polite yet political air, something that Loki knew he would never master in spite of his ability to lie through his teeth.

  
“Thank you for having us, Your Majesty. It is such an honor to be invited to dine with such distinguished figures this evening,” Steve replied, his face humble and his body giving a small, but deliberate bow to the tall goddess draped in blue. Tony Stark, on the other hand, said nothing, his eyes roving the living room as he too, bowed to Frigga.

  
“I like what you’ve done with the place, ma’am. Very home-y, yes?” The mortal’s snarky comment caused Frigga’s smile to falter slightly.

  
“As close as we could make it. We are aiming for comfort,” she responded, her smile back in place. Loki watched the brown eyes of the Tower’s owner and designer rove over the large potted plants of Asgardian flowers that his mother had summoned from her private greenhouses that afternoon to decorate the apartment, but also to remind her youngest of home and the summer season that he was missing. She had also changed all the wall sconces to candles, adding an air of weight and gravity to the occasion. It was obvious that the mortal was not pleased.

  
Thankfully, the family was spared more of the man’s scathing remarks because Bruce had arrived along with the remaining two original Avengers, the yellow lab in tow. “Oh, please do come in and make yourselves comfortable. Welcome to our home!” Frigga’s smile became genuine when she spotted the mortal doctor and the dog. Loki smiled as well. His mother had always had a soft spot for animals. She bent, her elegant hand extended over the head of the attentive dog. “May I pet?” the All-Mother asked, her eyes not looking at the owner as expected, but at the canine standing at his feet.

  
“Uh...” Clint hesitated. “He’s...”

  
Frigga nodded, still focused on the dog, “I understand, Opie. You’re busy working. Some other time then.” She straightened, smiling. “He’s delightful, Clint. Be sure to treat him well.”

  
“Wah-wah...Of course, my Lady,” the archer responded, dipping his head nervously wondering how the woman knew the name of his guide dog when he hadn’t spoken it.

  
“Well,” Thor clapped his hands together energetically. “Shall we begin?” He gestured towards the dining room, his hand resting on the small of his wife’s back. Not wanting to be stuck in the awkward situation of ‘Who Should Move First?,’ Loki offered one of his lean arms to his mother with a small smile, and the other to his daughter with a jaunty tilt of his horns and a cocked eyebrow.

  
While the Jotunn could feel eyes bearing into his back, he was reassured by the two women who hung off his ridged arms. They were the two women who meant the most to him in all the Nine: one nurtured him since days after his birth and had taught him how to rule and how to wield his seidr; the other had saved him from himself and shown him how to find his way to self-acceptance. With these two beautiful and powerful women on his arms, he knew that he could face the evening.

  
Once in the shining dining room, the lights of the city reflecting off the silver wallpaper, the candlelight flickering off the silver platters of food, Loki kissed Aiko on the top of her head and dropped her arm. He escorted the All-Mother to the foot of table, a place of honor, and pulled out her chair with a smile and a gentlemanly incline of his head. “Mother,” he whispered respectfully as she sat, her warm hand brushing his arm. The goddess smiled, not at her son, but at her granddaughter. “I guess I must raised him right, dear,” she tittered cheerfully, her grey eyes sparkling. “You just reminded him of it.”

  
Loki was certain that he’d be blushing to the tips of his ears if that was physically possible. Instead he waddled towards his daughter and slowly pulled out her chair, allowing her to sit. “Thank you, Blue,” the blue eyed beauty said before turning her attention to her grandmother. “Yes, My Lady, I believe that we raised a gentleman.”

  
Loki rolled his eyes and made his way to his seat directly across from his daughter, where he sat heavily, exhaling with a huff as his aching pelvis connected with the chair’s rather stiff cushion. By the time he had taken his not so comfortable seat, the rest of the assembly began to file in. Thor pulled out his wife’s chair, the two totally engrossed in their love, eyes only on each other. They made the Jotunn smile, his hands caressing his stomach that housed their children. The King of Asgard took his seat across from his Queen, leaving the head of the table empty in honor of the absent, but ever-watchful All-Father. The Captain sat on Thor’s right and Aiko’s left, across from Tony who looked overwhelmingly unsettled with his placement next to the tall, horned, pregnant man. To Loki’s right sat Bruce, whose dinner partner was Asha. She looked radiantly happy, a bright blush painting her cheeks as she beamed at the mortal who housed the Hulk as if he was the only other person in the room. Next to Asha was Natasha, looking nervously at Clint as he sat beside Bruce, Opie laying obediently at his feet.

 

Frigga, again being the matriarch and hostess, rose to her feet and opened her arms. “Our friends. Thank you for welcoming my beloved son into your world and your shared home. We are so overwhelmed with your kindness that we are pleased to have you here, in our abode, for a simple meal to show you our appreciation. Everyone - enjoy.”

  
After the All-Mother of the Nine resumed her seat, the clatter of utensils meeting with fine china and silver platters filled the air, along with murmurs of ‘Please pass the potatoes,’ and ‘May I have a slice of bread please?’ and ‘The roast beef is divine!’. The conversations drifted to talk of the summer heat, the latest mission of the Avengers, the politics on Alfheim, and lastly, to the impending birth of the royal heirs. “How is your preparation going, Jane? Are you ready for a lot of sleepless nights?” Natasha asked, curiously. Loki was sure that the woman was taking in every detail of the conversation, her own child due in less than seven months.

  
“No, I am no where ready, preparation wise. There are times when I feel like I must be the one who’s pregnant - No offense, Loki!”

  
“None taken,” Loki intoned, raising a hand while giving a one-sided smirk.

  
Jane beamed and continued, “I think nesting is in full swing. I keep tweaking the nursery in Asgard. Thor is getting so fed up with the number of paint swatches I’ve thrown up on the walls. And I keep dusting, multiple times a day.”

  
Loki cut in. “You do not know nesting until you find yourself building nests upon nests. Gods bless Asha. She keeps tearing them down and refolding all of my clothes and sheets and putting them away, only to find that I’m settled back into the middle of the living room in a mess of fabric and couch cushions. And, the worst part, is I don’t know why I keep doing it!”

  
“Maybe it’s out of boredom. Because, like that story, Gonzo, I think I’m falling asleep,” Stark sneered through his smirk. “I think you need to get out more, Momma.”

  
Loki stiffened, his nostrils flaring. “Well, Man of Iron, now that I know you will not inhibit my trips about the Tower, I will have to start going on adventures. I’m sure that hacking into your lab will make a fabulous story.” He smiled innocently as the mortal’s face fell to a scowl.

  
“Play nice, gentlemen,” Steve intoned. “This evening has been so wonderful, let’s not ruin it.”

  
“Of course!” Frigga said, rising. “Asha, Aiko, Jane, could you please help me to clear the table for dessert. Loki ordered it special for tonight.”

  
The men, abandoned by all of the women, even Natasha who’d refused to not help, sat in a sullen silence. Loki’s anxiety began to mount, again questioning the reasons behind his decision before letting his choice win out over his dislike of certain parties in the room. Frigga returned once the table was cleared from their succulent dinner, her arms burdened with trays of apple tarts and turnovers. Aiko followed, carrying the plates and dessert forks with Asha bringing whipped and ices cream. Jane brought the bowls and a mug of hot chocolate for Loki, who was, ironically, unable to eat the dessert that he had requested.

  
“Thank you, Jane,” Loki murmured as his sister-in-law placed the cup in front of him with a gentle pat on his Mantle.

  
“My father had this dessert made special for tonight. He said that it was one of his favorites, especially when they included some special type of apple. Right, Blue?” Loki nodded, smiling quietly.

  
“Please, dig in,” Frigga said, resuming her seat and taking a tart off the plate. “Asha and I slaved away on these ourselves.”

  
“Let me know if you’d like ice cream or whipped cream,” Asha chimed in, prompting Bruce to rapidly push his plate across the table to the woman with a child-like gleam in his eyes.

  
The dining room was filled with the scraping of forks and the appreciative “Mmmm”’s of the people seated around the table. The Jotunn observed the mortals around him, a broad smile playing across his face as the years slipped away from them. The golden apples of Idunn, sweet and crisp, were perfect for baked goods, or so the god recalled. The fruit came from a mythical orchard in Asgard, guarded by a fire-breathing dragon and tended by Idunn Goddess of Youth. The apples contained mythical properties, including the restoration of good health and the lengthening of life. The Aesir consumed the apples once a year, or so, to continue their youthful vigor, keep the typical medical issues that plagued the other races at bay, and to add length to their already long lives. It was a secret held by the Aesir that Loki, with the permission of Odin, was sharing with the Avengers.

  
A shocked gasp and a clattering of a dropped fork caused Loki to turn towards his mother’s end of the table. “I-I can see.” The voice was small and insecure, unbelieving. “Nat. I can see.”

  
“Wuh-what?” Natasha breathed, observing the man across from her. Some of the grey had receded from his hair, along with some of the wrinkles that marred his forehead and mouth. The most shocking difference were his eyes, once clouded, but now a shining, crystalline blue. “Clint?” She reached her hand out and he instantly grabbed it, rising from his seat to allow her better access to his face.

  
“What did you do?” A sharp, snappy voice came from Loki’s left. He slowly turned to face the inventor. The man’s hair had darkened, the white retreating to play at his temples and wispily through his goatee.

 

“Nothing,” Loki said, honestly. “Nothing except ask my mother to make my favorite dessert.”

 

“One that we can only consume once a year,” Thor said, eyeing his brother from across the table. “One that you are not eating.” He paused. “What are you doing, Brother? Why are you giving away the secret of Idunn’s apples?”

  
Loki rolled his ruby eyes at his protective sibling. “I have permission, if that is what you are wondering.” Judging by the stern look on Thor’s face, it wasn’t.

  
Loki sighed, “Brother. I am not Aesir and no matter how much anyone wishes that I was so, I cannot change my species, only my appearance.” He paused, still looking at Thor, wishing that his sibling understood what he was trying to say without having to say it. Thor’s face was blank, uncomprehending. Loki snapped, “I can no longer consume the apples, Thor.” He squeezed the bridge of his nose with two claw-tipped fingers, exhaling slowly against his senseless frustration before continuing. “Since I am unable to continue to partake in the apple ceremony, I asked the All-Father, as well as our mother, if I could gift my portion to those who needed it more. They agreed. And so, as a thank you to my hosts, I am giving them the rest of my allotment of Idunn’s apples. Though we were enemies, it has pained me beyond belief to see these noble men, and women, suffer ailment and old age.”

  
Loki turned to look at the Avengers around the table. Some had changed significantly more than others, but all of them looked alive and in perfect health. “Do know this: You have been given long life, but it is not eternity. It will help you to remain youthful for a few more years or so, and then you will gradually age, and eventually, you shall pass from this world. It will not bring you immortality: The Aesir are not, themselves, immortal, so do not be foolish and use this gift wisely. Again, I thank you for your kindness and for allowing me to stay here, however briefly.”

  
He turned his eyes back to his plate as the conversations around him began to grow more excited and energized as the superheroes rediscovered their youthful vigor that they had lost. Loki, still holding his recently uncovered secret, concluded his evening in silence, smiling through the loss he felt within his heart. 


	59. Chapter 59

**New York City - Avenger’s Tower**

  
“Yes, All-Father, I understand what you are saying. I will comply to your wishes.” Loki raised his hand and broke the ice in the bowl on his dresser with a bit more fervor than he had intended. His latest conversation with Odin was not an idle chat, nor was it about a topic he truly wished to discuss, Maybe that block of ice had it coming.  
____________________________________

  
Aiko wasn’t stupid. And she knew that her father knew that she wasn’t stupid either, and yet, he continued to hide things from her. She supposed that that was what parents did, trying to shelter their children from the horrors of the world, but she had also thought that she had a very different relationship with her father. He told her everything, even before she had been officially adopted.

  
One of her favorite memories was on the day that she had been beaten up by her foster sibling, John. She had been ten and did not know who else she could turn to. He had held her and healed her as best he was able at the time, and then he had told her not to judge John based on his actions towards her: There was always another part to the tale that she did not know. And then, he had recounted the story of the fallen Prince of Asgard - his own history, so honestly. It had melted her heart and she had never judged anyone, no matter how they hurt her, again, because if her blue angel could be seen as a villain, then how could she place that label on others?

 

And yet, here they were, alone in the Asgardian apartment, and he was hiding something from her. The Jotunn spent hours pouring over ancient texts, muttering to himself in a strange gibberish language that the new goddess did not understand. Whenever she asked about it, he would say that it was just boring treaties and documents for Thor and the All-Father. She knew he was lying, his arms would cover the page to block it from her view or he would close the book unobtrusively, changing the subject to something else - anything else. Thor, Jane, and Frigga had left two days ago, the needs of the kingdom and the Nine unceasing while they enjoyed the company of their family and friends on Midgard.

  
Asha was on a date with Bruce, a first for the two of them. Asha had never had the time or found ‘the one’ that she had wanted to spend her minimal free time with. She was driven, determined to be a healer who worked for the people. Men came in a distant second. Bruce, on the other hand, had wanted to find a woman who would love him for him, but, due to the “Other Guy,” he had never put himself out there. He hid behind his work, and, recently, behind the Avengers and Loki’s pregnancy. He had never dreamed he’d find the small Vanir woman, but for their chance meeting due to a large, horned, blue man, the mortal doctor was eternally grateful.

  
The teenager couldn’t take it anymore. This silence, this icing over the subject of the crumbling tomes, she couldn’t concentrate on anything else. Leaving her sketchpad in the armchair, a half-finished satirical self-portrait in which she was pulling out her hair in frustration, Aiko rose and walked purposefully towards her father’s latest hideout, crossing her arms over her chest.

  
Loki had built a nest in the middle of the empty guest room, comforters, towels, breast bands, pulled onto the mattress, which had been yanked three quarters of the way onto the floor. He was surrounded by pillows, couch cushions, and a couple of the quilted dining room chairs tipped on their sides. His bulging, blue body, leaned against one of the chairs, his horns arching above the silver upholstery. His hands held a manuscript older than the All-Father, a clawed finger following the text, his eyes transfixed on the words.

  
Aiko instantly felt awful for coming into his sanctuary to confront him. She knew that the last few days had been rough. First, his mother, whom Aiko saw was his only true supporter for most of his life, and his brother, the person that he aspired to be for so much of his upbringing, and Jane had departed, leaving Loki cut off from his family. His nights were filled with frequent trips to the restroom and his early morning pool visits. His afternoon naps had become less frequent, the babies constantly moving about his ‘spacious’ womb. Needless to say, the Jotunn was irritable. His daughter knew, however, that there was another, more secret factor that was adding to his perpetually grouchy mood.

  
“Blue,” she said sharply from the doorway. “We need to talk.”

  
Caught off guard, the blue man jumped, scrambling to collect the document and place it to the side, wedging it between his body and the seat of the chair. His brow knit over his wide, ruby eyes. “Of course, darling,” he replied a bit shrilly. “What would you like to talk about?” He smiled genuinely, patting the mattress next to him, again making Aiko feel awful for forcing this information into the light.

  
Instead of taking his invitation to join him, she remained at the door. The instant she lost the high ground was the moment she would lose her resolve. She held his unsettling eyes and asked, as levelly and as straightforwardly as she could, “What are you hiding from me?”

  
The man’s expression shifted as he rapidly blinked. “What?” He was shaking his head now, unable to comprehend what his daughter was saying.

  
“The really old documents, the secrecy. For the All-Father’s sake, you just shoved it behind you like a five year old stuffing the rest of a cookie into his mouth when his mother catches him with it in his hands. So, I will ask again: What. Are. You. Hiding?”

  
The Jotunn raised his horned head, thunking the curve of the slate-colored protuberances onto the back of the chair. “Why did I raise such an observant child?!” he asked, using sarcasm to hide his pride. He should have been more careful. Aiko had always been exceedingly perceptive.

  
Righting his head, he smiled at his child with closed lips. “If you must know, I am researching,” he stated, matter-of-factly.

  
The young woman rolled her eyes. “And _what_ are you researching exactly?”

  
“Does it matter?” he asked, his brow furrowing. “I swear that it does not effect you in anyway.”

  
“Then why are you hiding it from me?” Her genuine and thoughtful curiosity was wearing his resolve down. His current research wasn’t anything life-changing, just embarrassing.

  
He sighed. “If you insist on knowing, then please, have a seat beside me.” He patted the mattress with his clawed hand, more insistently this time. Aiko waded through the debris that was bunched together on the floor and found herself in the familiar position, under her father’s cool, lined arm, her head resting on his shoulder and upper chest, listening to his steady heartbeat.

  
“Comfortable?” his deep rumble asked. She nodded, her hair catching on his rough, hard skin and Jotunn Ridges.

  
“Well, my darling. On the night my seidr was released by the All-Father, I attempted to return the glamor that Odin had placed on me as a babe to my body.” He paused, turning his head to observe his daughter’s reaction as she stiffened under his arm.

 

Quietly, she asked, “Why would you want to do that, Blue?”

  
He smiled and kissed the top of her head. “I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. And I thought it might be nice to see my old face in the mirror. I never planned on wearing it long-term - it’s missing certain...parts that are in use right now. That and it was rather tight and restrictive. It was as if I was wearing a tight suit of leather, very uncomfortable.” He chuckled as Aiko lowered her hand to his stomach, causing the babies to dance within him. “It was an interesting experiment, to say the least. I only succeeded partially, becoming a woman, though not unattractive, I might add. If it weren’t for the horns.”

  
“What?” Aiko shifted, craning her neck to meet his ruby eyes.

  
“I retained my horns through the glamor. Apparently, cross-species shifting only works with structures that are not made of keratin, or at least that’s what I’ve read. You can add but you cannot subtract. I’ve been trying to find a way to eliminate them, if I should want to do so. What is the use of changing one’s shape if everything I change into has these. Could you imagine a bird flying around with these?” He chuckled and reached a rough hand up and slid it along one of the protuberances, feeling the smooth spiral carved into the structure. “Of course, it is difficult to see if any of these spells work while my seidr is bound, but it’s keeping me occupied.”

  
He beamed down at Aiko. “Nothing for you to get worked up over, my Child of Love.” He pressed his cool lips into her hair, taking in her fresh scent, like lilacs and violets and sunshine. She snuggled in closer to his cold body. She is the only person who does that, he reflected. _Everyone else pulls away after a few seconds, even Thor. Even Frigga. They become cold and repulsed by the sensation, and she just gets closer, as if I will suddenly become warm if she clings tightly enough._

  
“There is something else, Aiko.” She hummed in response, listening but utterly comfortable. “Odin sent me a message. I declined his offer to succeed him as All-Father months ago, when I could still see all of my toes.” He chuckled at the thought, wriggling the appendages in question like a child in delight. The action stopped abruptly as the blue man released a heavy sigh. “Upon further reflection and contemplation, Odin has refused to accept my unwillingness to inherit the title of All-Father when he enters Valhalla. He says that Thor cannot inherit the title, which is kind of funny, seeing as he would have when I was imprisoned.” He scrunched up his lips as his daughter looked up at him again.

  
“What does that mean for you? Are your wishes unimportant to him?” Aiko felt confused and indecisive. On one hand, she loved her grandfather, even if he was a bit harsh, but she adored her father, and would remain faithful to him until the day she died.

  
“Unfortunately, yes.” He paused, looking glum. “Odin also, unfortunately, has a point. Thor, for all the amazing improvements, governing skills, sheer pigheadedness, brute strength, and his drive for social justice, does not possess seidr. His power comes from his strength, from his worthiness, from Mjolnir, from the respect he commands, and from the prowess and skill he possesses on the battlefield and in the throne room. He does not have the ability to wield change through magic, a much needed skill of the All-Father. I, on the other side of the coin, possess seidr that is immeasurable - seidr that I do not even know how to manipulate or control fully. I would be able to enact change through the use of my power, to make a difference, not just in Asgard, but everywhere. It is a daunting task, a daunting task that I cannot turn down. It is a task that my Lordship has entrusted to me, and I must see it through to completion.”

  
Aiko snuggled into his side further, close enough to feel the heirs kicking and punching her father’s insides. “As if you are not under enough stress already...” she mumbled. His body shook with his laughter, jostling her and the babies gently. “But that’s what I’m here for. I’ll be here for you, no matter what.”

  
Overwhelmed by her love, Loki reverently pressed his lips into her hair and wrapped his ridged arms around her slim frame. “I love you so much, my Child of Love. So very much.” Lovingly, he rested his Bergelmir’s Tears on top of his daughter’s head, humming with contentment.  
______________________________________

  
The pair remained wrapped in each others arms until Asha returned hours later, glowing with happiness, her love for Bruce radiating from every pore. When she returned to the floor of the Asgardian apartment, she could hear the rumbling of Loki and she knew that her friend was finally sleeping comfortably. Her smile broadened, pleased that her friend had finally let go of what had been keeping him from a deep, refreshing sleep. 


	60. Chapter 60

**New York City - Avenger’s Tower**

  
Loki relished in the feeling of weightlessness that encircled his bulbous body. He had gained another four pounds, placing more stress on his pelvis and lower back. He could no longer see any of his toes except his long, hooked big toe, and even then, it was only the ebony claw that appeared below his globe-like abdomen. His stomach was so large that it made his leaking breasts look tiny in comparison. He looked forward to his mornings in the pool, the feeling of subtle warmth which saturated his weary limbs and the brief relief from the gravity that pulled down on his form.

  
_Loki. I must inform you that it is now 7:30am and the pool will be opening in a half hour when it must be devoid of ice_ , Jarvis intoned from his perch on-high.

  
“Thank you, Jarvis. It is greatly appreciated,” the Jotunn responded, sighing, already missing the buoyancy of the water around his tired body. He slowly waded out of the depths of the pool, pushing mini-icebergs out of the way with a smile and scraped the ice from his limbs and hair with his claws.

  
He waddled his way to the elevator and back into his apartment, the throbbing quickly returning to his pelvic bowl, prompting his hands to fist themselves into the small of his back. When he turned the corner into his rooms, he paused, a loving smile spreading across his blue face. His daughter was still asleep, her gorgeous dark brown locks spread across the emerald pillows, her face serene. Her dark lashes brushed her cheeks and her pink lips were relaxed. slightly parted. Beautiful, so beautiful. And she had chosen him, saved him, and for that he would move the Worlds for her.

  
He crossed the threshold, loath to wake his child, but he also knew that she would be deeply hurt if he had continued his morning routine without her. About a week and a half ago, Bruce urged Loki to begin doing yoga. The doctor had recommended that he begin to strengthen his muscles, many of which he didn’t realize existed, for the big day, and had suggested the strange dance-like mediation with poses and postures that worked specific parts of the body. He and his daughter had begun to do it together, and the Jotunn treasured the memories that they forged through their mutual exercise. Not only did it keep some of his muscles and joint a bit more limber, it also had improved his balance, which had been growing more precarious by the day, his center of gravity shifting as he gained weight and the children grew. The first few attempts at some of the poses left him flat on the floor, barely catching himself before face planting and squashing the children. Aiko had laughed at his wobbly stance with a voice like silver chimes while standing in a beautiful, strong pose. Yesterday, as he beamed over at his daughter from his identical pose, he was pleased that he had listened to the mortal doctor. The exercise was relaxing and invigorating at the same time.

  
Gently, he ran his claws through his daughter’s hair and around her ear, a small smile playing on his blue lips. Softly, he whispered, “My darling, Aiko. It is time to get up. The sun has risen, the birds are singing. It is a new day.”

  
The teenager stirred, releasing a soft murmur as she blinked lackadaisically. “Hmmm.” Her coffee colored hand raised to her face and rubbed her blinking blue eyes. “G’morning, Blue.” She smiled sleepily up at him as he bent a kissed her brow. “How late did I sleep? Did I miss yoga?”

  
“Oh no, my Child of Love. It is only 7:50.” The teenager rolled her eyes as she slowly sat up. “I thought that you would be upset if I did my yoga without you.” Loki said, now worried that he should have done just that.

  
A warm hand touched his Claws. “I’m glad that you woke me, Blue. I love our morning yoga. Now, let’s get started with our sun salutations before I fall back to sleep.” Loki’s face broke out into a broad smile and he offered his daughter a cool hand, helping her out of the nest.

  
“Let’s get started.”  
______________________________________

  
Over an hour later, the father and daughter had found their way back into their shared nest. Loki almost immediately fell asleep, his deep purring filling the room and the apartment with his blissful happiness. Aiko rubbed his back, feeling his lean, toned muscles through his tough skin and the silky ridges of his Mantle and Wings. In spite of the hours he had spent floating in the water, and the yoga practice that they had both completed, his shoulders were still knotted up, tight and unyielding to her gentle ministrations. Still, she rubbed, her hands warming his skin and loosening some of the tension that seemed to be a constant presence in his life.

  
After loosening his sore back, the rumbling beneath her hands causing her fingers to tingle, she moved on to her father’s hair. He had cut it rather short before she arrived. It had barely reached the top of his shoulders a few weeks ago. Now, near the end of July, it had grown out, his braid reaching the bottom of his scapulae. While he never said anything to her after waking to find his ebony locks in a loose braid that began at the nape of his neck instead of his tight fauxhawk, she knew that he appreciated it. His smile and gentle tousle of her hair said everything that she needed to hear.

  
Sighing as she completed her work, she kissed the cool, azure shoulder beside her and lay with her back against her father’s cool ridges. His gentle breathing, the vibrations from his deep, luxurious purring lulled her into a comfortable sleep.  
______________________________________

  
Loki awoke about an hour later, feeling refreshed but sore. The constant ache seemed to be as much apart of him as his more noticeable acquisitions these days, though he guessed that he could not really complain. With two months to go, the Jotunn could not complain about the dull throbbing of his lower back and pelvis. He could still breath normally, the babies were not crowding his lungs, and he was still relatively active, though rather slow. Stretching, his horns accidentally collided with something hard behind him.

  
“Ow!” hissed his daughter, the sound of rubbing hair filling the blue man’s ear. As quickly as he could manage, prompting a Braxton-Hicks that caused a gasp to escape his lips, Loki sat and turned towards his daughter. She sat rubbing the back of her head, a look of discomfort on her face.

  
“I am so terribly sorry, my Child of Love. I did not know you were so close. I -” He reached out to her and pulled her into his chest, resting his icy cheek against the hurt that he had caused her.

  
“It’s fine, Blue. You have nothing to apologize for.” She raised a hand to his already open mouth. “No. Stop it. You are not going to blame yourself for something that was an accident. It’s easy to forget about things that we have grown used to accommodating.” She gently reached up and stroked one of her father’s curved horns. “Even if they are rather large and regal.” She giggled, causing Loki to pull away.

  
Her sparkling blue eyes met his ruby pair. His face was a mask, hiding his hurt at her laughter. “What is so funny?” he queried.

  
Her eyes softened and her laughter subsided. “Life is so funny, isn’t it?”

 

Loki, making a quick reflection of his long years, shook his head. “I find it rather ironic.”

 

“Well, I think that it’s wonderful!” Aiko exclaimed, throwing her arms into their air with enthusiasm, a bright smile lighting her face. “It’s so strange because I have gotten everything I could have ever wanted, but never in the ways I imagined. Think about it, Blue. You have known me longer than anyone. You know my dreams, my deepest desires, surely you can see the humor in it. I was alone, dreaming of parents, of a father who hadn’t died but was a king of a far away land, who would come and steal me away from my awful foster families, and then I would be a princess and I would have a pony and be able to pursue art instead of being a waitress and everyone would love me. And it all came true, Blue. It all came true.”

  
The Jotunn’s brow furrowed in confusion. His daughter continued, “I am a princess of a far away land and I could paint all day if I wished, and I have a father who loves me so much and friends and a family. And it’s all because of the day we met. Do you remember?” She sighed as he nodded, pressing a kiss into her hair.

  
“I was so scared. It had taken me so long to find you and, once I got there, it took me nearly a half hour to crawl to your window. And then when I did, you were so terrifying, like a creature from my nightmares, and yet so ethereal at the same time. I’m not sure how long I sat there, watching and observing you work but I knew that if my mother liked you and sent me to you, you must be a wonderful blue something! And so I asked what you were doing and rashly jumped off that ledge! Do you remember, Blue?”

  
The Jotunn smiled at the memory, the day that changed his life forever. “How could I forget, my Child of Love? It is the most important day of my life.”

  
Aiko smiled at him, tears playing at the corners of her eyes. Softly, she said, “Mine too.”

  
Laughing and wiping her tears away, Aiko said, “If I had known now that that red-eyed, horned, blue man-like creature living in that small cell in the mountain would be my prince, come to take me home to make me his princess, I am not quite sure that I’d have believe it. After all, Disney didn’t have any princes with horns, though one did get turned into a frog...” She placed her hand on her chin, thinking.

  
“As strange as it may seem, I think I’d rather be Jotunn than a frog, even if you’d still love me covered in warts,” Loki grinned, the light from the windows reflecting off his sharp, white fangs.

  
Aiko bent herself around her father’s baby bump, feeling the babies squirming beneath the surface. “I prefer you this way too.” Loki kissed her head, careful not to jostle her cranium too much after their headbutt earlier.

  
“Shall we continue on with our day, my darling?” He asked into her hair, his cool breath causing his daughter to shiver.

  
“Of course. Where will we be reading today?”

  
“The balcony, at least for a couple of hours. I need to feel the breeze. The air in here is so...stagnant, so....recycled. It’s no wonder why people forget the miracles of the natural world, surrounded by their wall of technology and bric-a-brac. Let’s get some food and make a picnic of it, shall we?”

  
Aiko giggled at her father’s youthful energy, sliding out of the nest before turning around to help the pregnant man up and out of the tangle of emerald comforters. 


	61. Chapter 61

**New York City - Avenger’s Tower**

  
When the pair reached the penthouse level, Aiko carrying the heavy basket of food from Asha and Loki bearing the fluffy scarlet blanket from the couch, they were surprised to find a gathering of the Avengers. The superheroes and agents were in a heated discussion that appeared to be pitting the Captain against the Man of Iron with Director Coulson caught in the middle. “Oh, we’re terribly sorry to have interrupted your meeting. We’ll just go...” Loki said, still uncomfortable in the presence of the men and women of SHIELD, especially when they were in a flurry of superhero-y activity.

  
The action stopped abruptly and several pairs of eyes shifted towards the father-daughter pair by the elevator. Tony, of course was the first to break the silence. “You are looking rather well-fed, Violet Beauregard. The Oompa Loompa’s forget to squeeze the juice out of you?”

  
Loki blinked, the reference going way over his horned head. “I am not sure to what you are referring, Stark, but you know as well as everyone else here that I am not due until the end of September, so my ‘juices’ as you have referred to my brother’s children, will be staying where they are until that time. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’ll be going.” He looped is free arm over his daughter’s warm shoulders and slowly began to turn towards the elevator.

  
Steve, after averting his eyes from Loki’s stomach, quietly said, “Actually, please stay. This affects you.”

  
Loki cocked an eyebrow and looked at his daughter, who appeared to be equally confused. Slowly, he gave a small nod and waddled toward the group. Steve, ever the gentleman, vacated his seat and gestured the Jotunn to sit. Loki smiled his thanks, a hand underneath his enormous abdomen as he sat with a huff. “Thank you, Captain. What can I help you with?”

  
Aiko place the basket at the base of the arm chair where her father had just sat and leaned against the arm, curiosity written across her face. Loki offered his daughter a Clawed hand, squeezing her warm phalanges gently with a reassuring smile.

  
“Loki,” Steve began, “We have been dealing with security breaches all morning. The masses have been swarming the agents of SHIELD on the bottom floors since late last evening. _Someone_ has leaked that you are here and under our protection. Not only that, but that you have granted us renewed youth in exchange for your safety.”

  
The Jotunn remained silent, realizing that his gift to the original Avengers would have caused some problems. He had never imagined that it would be accredited to himself. Stark typically took credit for things that were not of his making and Loki had fully expected the inventor to claim some miracle supplement or experimental treatment of his own creation. He closed his ruby eyes. “And am I correct in assuming that the crowds are not braking the doors down to give me a special commendation?”

  
“Correct, Your Royal Highness, Prince Blueberry,” Stark replied matter-of-factly.

  
“Why did you do it, Stark?”

  
“What?” Tony looked offended, a hand over his breast like an elderly woman. The rest of the Avengers turned towards the accuser. The teen sat on the arm of her father’s chair, head held high, her eyes turned to daggers that skewered the scientist.

  
“Aiko,” Loki sighed, squeezing her hand firmly. He, of course, was sure that it was the Man of Iron that had revealed his location. None of the other Avengers were so loath to his presence, though he had thought that the weapons inventor had grown to respect him. Also, Stark was also the only one who interacted regularly with the media and the journalists were the people who spread information in this world.

  
The silence and tension was bearing down on all those present. The babies were thrashing within the prince’s womb, causing him to wince, and yet, he made no sound. He did not want to be the first to break the silence, even if it was due to his discomfort.

  
“Fine.” The mortal hero broke the silence. “I had an interview yesterday evening about my new portable nuclear reactor cell phone charger and the fact that I have de-aged was mentioned. Of course, I did not mention your name specifically. I just said that it was a gift from an old enemy turned friend. It is not my fault that they correctly assumed that it was you. It is not my fault that your family keeps coming and going via the launch pad. They’re not stupid. They can put two and two together.”

  
Loki closed his eyes and inhaled slowly. It was rather stupid of him to forget that the public would figure things out. “So what shall I do? I am in no fit state to do much more than talk and, something tells me, that the public would not believe me when I say that I am the destroyer of New York. Even less so, I’m sure that they would lock me away from the world and perform experiments on me. Unlike Thor or Jane or Aiko, I am an alien-looking alien. A monster among men. I do not blend in, nor will I ever again. And there are my brother’s heirs to consider. I will not put them in harms way. I cannot do that to Jane or Thor, or Asgard for that matter.” He paused, feeling his level of desperation rising. In a small voice he repeated, “What shall I do?”

  
“What shall _we_ do, you mean.” Barton stood, arms crossed, his eyes piercing and hawk-like. Loki smiled at the archer, thankful for regaining this ally, truly this time, without the use of his distorted and manipulated seidr.

  
_Sir_ , Jarvis cut in to the worried atmosphere. _You may want to see this_.

  
The big screen TV burst to life, revealing an attractive young brunette standing outside of Avenger’s Tower and an enormous gathering of Midgardians in what could only be called an angry mob. _Yesterday evening, on this very network, it was revealed that Loki of Asgard, the Scourge of New York, has taken up residence inside the Avenger’s Tower. You may remember that, while Loki has not been to this world since his attack on the city nearly a quarter of a century ago, his headquarters for the basis of the first alien invasion of Earth was here at the Tower._ A grainy photograph of Aesir Loki appeared in the top right hand corner of the screen, his eyes deranged, his mouth open in a cruel laugh underneath his gold war-helm. The scepter, with it’s gleaming blue jewel and wicked, sharp hook, was in his right hand, his left hand cradling the tell-tale glint of his green seidr playing at his claw-like fingertips. The Jotunn winced, recalling that lost period in his life and his struggle for survival under the thumb of Thanos.

  
The reporter continued, _While no one knows what is happening within the Tower itself, outside it is chaos. The crowd is demanding that Loki be brought to them to face the justice of this world. They believe that the Avengers are being put under compulsion, are being wooed by gifts of youth, and are unfit to judge who the enemy is. The woman paused, putting a finger to her ear. This just in: The Director of SHIELD will be making a statement on this matter within the hour, along with the Avengers, regarding the presence of Loki here on Earth._ The sound of shouting and the smashing of glass echoed through the shot. _It appears that the mob has breached the doors of the Tower and are now entering the building._

  
“This is bad.” The understatement was made by Bruce, a small hint of green entering his brown eyes.

  
“No shit, Sherlock,” Tony chimed in with a disgruntled mutter.

 

“Don’t, Tony. We need him, _not_ the Hulk right now.” Captain America stepped in, as usual, trying to stop confrontation. “We need a plan.”

  
“We have a press conference within the hour,” Coulson stated plainly. “It needs to be in place by then. No winging it this time Stark.”

  
“Maybe we could hack into their system, bring down the power grid,” Natasha said, her arms crossed over the small rounding of her stomach.

  
“You are not doing anything, Nat. You need to keep yourself safe, keep...safe,” Clint said, taking the woman’s hands in his, careful not to reveal their secret just yet.

  
“What if we tell the truth?”

  
The Man of Iron rolled his eyes. “Captain Truth and Justice has spoken!” he bellowed, raising his arms to the ceiling. “That is an awful idea, Steve. We can’t just say ‘Oh, yes, Loki’s here but he’s changed. Yup, you heard that right folks! This big, blue, horned, pregnant ‘man’ is the war criminal Loki. No, you cannot punish him because now he wouldn’t harm a fly. Oh! And by the way, he’s carrying everyone’s favorite Asgardian thunder god’s children, so please don’t hurt him!’ It’s not going to happen.”

  
“I need my mother.”

  
“You want your Mommy?! God! You have changed. The Loki I knew would not have been crying for his _mother_ ,” Tony continued, his mouth running away with itself.

  
Loki stood rapidly, crying out as the babies kicked him in the stomach. Aiko was immediately at his side, grabbing his arm to stabilize him. The Jotunn hissed, _“I_ am going to fix the predicament _you’ve_ put us in, Stark. My mother bound my seidr. I have need of it to enact my plan.” The gathering abruptly fell into silence. The Jotunn turned toward his child. “Would you please retrieve my scrying bowl, my Child of Love. I am in need of it.”

  
“Yes, Father.” The young woman helped him to sit again, kissing his lined cheek lovingly before rushing to the elevator.  
______________________________________

  
A half hour later, Frigga was kneeling beside her youngest child. “I am here, darling, as you requested.”

  
“Thank you, Mother. I know that this was not something we agreed to, but I need to cast an illusion, and a powerful one at that.”

  
Frigga smiled at him sadly, shaking her head. “I do not like it. It’s too risky, but I will stay and help you.” Her warm, golden seidr, filled with love and kindness, played over his skin and sank into his pores. He could feel his Aesir seidr unbound within his chest, the power surging through his limbs. He sighed, reveling in the sensation that he had missed, the tingling sensation comforting him.

  
He closed his ruby eyes and concentrated, recalling the ancient texts that he had been studying and began to chant. The magic swirled through him and around him, giving him a rush. When his eyes opened again, they flashed emerald for a moment before resuming their ruby color. An exact replica of his Aesir self stood directly in front of him, it’s clothes like those that he wore in his ill-conceived attempt to take Midgard. Loki blinked and the duplicate blinked.

  
He turned to face his mother. “We’re all set. Please let Coulson know that I am ready.”  
_______________________________

  
The crowd of reporters stretched for miles, or so it seemed through the eyes of the double. It was currently waiting behind a door with Steve and Bruce, the remaining Avengers and Coulson sat at a conference table. Tony was working the crowd prior to the beginning of the conference. The Director stood, the silence immediately fell. Loki was impressed, not for the first time, by the power of the man in the designer suit with the incredible poker face.

  
“Welcome to the SHIELD and Avenger press conference. We are gathered here to address the rumors regarding what was said by Mister Stark last evening during an interview. We would like to say that, what Mister Stark said, regarding the magical gift is true. A man, aware of his crimes against this world, this city, the Avengers themselves, has been reformed through just Asgardian punishment. SHIELD has recognized that he has changed his ways and we have brought him here to speak. So, without further ado, I present Loki of Asgard.”

  
The double made its way though the doors with Bruce and Steve on either side. The crowd, silent until that point shouted and screamed obscenities, demanded his head. When the illusion reached his seat, it sat meekly, not making eye contact, looking ashamed and downtrodden.

  
“Enough!” shouted Steve. “Let the man speak!” Miraculously, the rabble quieted, though they certainly did not look happy to be doing so.

  
The double closed it’s emerald eyes and inhaled slowly. His Aesir voice left his lips, light and fluid, almost child-like, so unlike his current voice that sounded like rocks being ground together. “I have come to Midgard in peace, to atone for my wrong doings. In my imprisonment and torture, I learned the true value of the lives around me. Every single being has value and the acts that I rendered here, all those years ago, were truly despicable. I began my penance when I aided in stopping Thanos a little over a year ago. I have continued to heal the realms with my brother, the King of Asgard, and now, I have come to Earth in hopes of making amends, by helping the Avengers, the greatest among you, to make technological and medical improvements that will bring peace and prosperity to all of the inhabitants of your planet. I understand if you do not want me here, if you will not accept my willingly given aid. I would not trust the man who destroyed my city either. However, know this: I am truly here to help unite the worlds and bring about a peace that will last the ages to the best of my ability.” The double lowered its gaze again towards it’s leather covered lap, a faint smile tugging at his pale lips. He was pleased with how it went, his talented tongue working its magic.

  
The rest of the conference went quickly, the reporters asking about the advances that Loki had been contributing to. If course, most of it was based on simple herb-lore, his seidr contained since his arrival, but the herbs, when mixed with the technology of Stark and Bruce’s expertise, he had been able to quickly create a cure for the common cold. It wasn’t much, but it was just the beginning. Loki had found his newest hobby to keep him from fretting about the mantle that awaited him when he returned to Asgard. Needless to say, the crowd was thoroughly impressed and had decided to let him live another day. After the press conference, the double walked into the hall and Loki released the illusion, gasping from his exertion.

  
“Loki?” Frigga asked, her grey eyes meeting his ruby pair. Aiko squeezed his hand in both of hers, a proud smile lighting up her beautiful face.

  
“It is done. Bind it again.” He closed his eyes, trying not to show how much it pained him to be powerless. A warm hand touched his arm right on the Claws that were shaped like is vambraces and his mother’s seidr danced over his skin, collecting his emerald seidr and locking it deep within him.

  
“My Son, my Loki, my Gift.” His eyes flickered open as a warm hand touched his Bergelmir’s Tears, tracing their path with her thumb. “I am so proud of you and the man you’ve become.”

  
“Thank you, Mother. For everything.” His gravelly voice sounded so harsh to his ears after his brief time speaking through his Aesir lips. “I am loath to think what would have become of me otherwise.” He smiled, his fangs catching the light of the afternoon sun. “Would you like to join us on our picnic, Mother? The balcony is rather lovely this time of day, give or take about fifty degrees.”

  
Frigga beamed in response, kissing the cool brow of her youngest child and embracing her granddaughter. “How could I refuse?”


	62. Chapter 62

**Asgard**

  
Thor was tired. His head was pounding, his counsel was squabbling amongst themselves, the nobles were greedy, his wife was far too excitable, and he missed his brother. He could not help but think that if his brother were here, the discussions would have ended hours ago. Loki, unwilling to leave him without his Chief Advisor, insisted on receiving and review the treaties and documents that he dealt with on a daily basis. Heimdall would send the paperwork to Midgard via the Bifrost and Aiko would be there to collect it. His brother studiously and diligently poured over every inch of the treatises and would scry Frigga, who would call Thor. The entire process was entirely too complex and drawn out. He had attempted to scry Loki into a meeting once, as the Avengers did on Midgard when they were apart, but, unsurprisingly, the nobles were not thrilled to see the ridged, azure face in the bowl of water. That, and the meeting had been interrupted about two and a half hours in when a rich, deep purring resonated around the room from the bowl. Thor, to preserve his brother’s pride, promptly spilled the bowl “accidentally” and severed the connection.

  
He had definitely needed his brother today. The people of Svartalfheim were refusing to trade with the Jotunn. They originally claimed that it was because they did not need any stained glass or ice, but Thor knew that it was due to the stigma created by Laufey and enforced by Odin for over a thousand years.

  
“Enough!” he bellowed, slamming a meaty fist on the table, “This pettiness has gone on for long enough. Thren, representative of Svartalfheim, I understand that your people live on a dark, stifling planet and would thus have no need for stained glass and that ice would melt. However, Hror of Jotunnheim could offer you more than that to trade. The Jotunn are renowned builders and intricate craftsmen. They constructed a majority of this very palace. Your people, Thren, are still building their lives. Would it not serve you better to trade your cheese, which the Jotunn love, in exchange for their construction skills? By hiring stone masons, you will be able to allow more of your people the chance to cultivate the fields that you are creating to feed yourselves and your livestock.”

  
The king turned from the two representatives to meet the eyes of the other peoples gathered in the medium-sized hall that was reserved for business talks. “Why can we not see that _every_ world has something of value to offer all the others? Why can we not try to look past our differences, created by our fathers and their fathers before them, to create a better version of the Nine? Why can we not work together to build a peace for our children and their children after them? Please, I implore you, think on this. We shall convene again in the morning.”

  
Thor rose from his throne, thankful for his mother’s gift of a cushion, and exited the chamber swiftly, not wanting to be waylaid by anyone. Right now, he just needed to kiss his wife and talk with his brother.

  
When he got to his rooms, he saw that Jane and Frigga were already there, sitting close together on the couch, bent over something. His wife and mother were laughing cheerfully, delighted by what lay in front of them on the table. Moving quickly, and far from quietly, Thor swooped in, pecking his mother’s cheek and plopping himself down on the couch beside his wife, kissing her passionately. “How I have missed you today, my Love,” he whispered, rubbing the tip of Jane’s small nose with his larger one.

  
_As much as I have missed you, Brother, I do not consider you my ‘Love.’_ A deep, rumbling chuckle came from the table.

  
Not taking his eyes off his wife as he planted a quick kiss on her cheek, the King of Asgard responded, “And how are we today, Loki? The babies still treating you well?”

  
_Fine, thank you for asking. Besides the usual aches and pains and leaks and kicks and contractions, I am well, as are the children._ The voice paused. _Are you still planning on coming tomorrow? It’s the eight month check-up. I’m sure Bruce will pull out the ultrasound machine if you asked nicely._

  
Thor winced, turning, finally, to look at the face of his younger brother. “It depends. Talks went much longer than expected today. They are being dragged into tomorrow as well.”

  
_For what purpose?_ Loki responded, exasperated. _Do they not see that we are much stronger together? United in mutual trade, understanding, and respect?_

  
“That is what I continue to tell them, but the old stigmas and new dislikes abound, as usual. It is awful tedious work.” Thor sighed and Jane patted his leg sympathetically.

  
_It will get better, my Brother, I promise. These things take time_.

  
“Yes, well, I wish that it would hurry up.”

  
Loki chucked, his horns tipped back in mirth. _You and me both, Thor. I am tired of being used as a Jotunn punching bag and feeling like I ate an entire nest of bilgesnipe by myself._ The blue man paused, looking down at what could only be his rotund belly. When his ruby eyes lifted again, he asked, _Jane, how is the nursery coming along? Are the walls painted yet?_

  
Jane and Frigga laughed cheerfully. “Yes, it’s ready for their arrival, or as ready as Frigga will let it be.”

  
“You were going to drive yourself crazy, making change after change after change. Sometimes, it is better to let things just be, my Daughter,” Frigga smiled wisely. “I have raised two sons and neither of them will be able to complain about the paint on the walls of their nurseries. Babies do not remember such things.”

  
“Very true, Mother,” Thor agreed. “How are your renovations to the apartment going, Brother? Asha quit yet?”

  
A softer, high pitched voice called, _I would never quit, my Lord. We all know that Prince Loki is incapable of taking care of himself, though he makes a perfectly well-behaved charge._ Loki smiled over the bowl, his eyes following something that the royal family could not see, though they assumed that it was the Vanir healer. The woman’s face appeared beside that of the Jotunn. _In all honesty, I have given up trying to stop the ‘nesting.’ The yellow guest chamber looks like a tornado blew through, but Loki is happy and that is all that matters. Though, if you could stop hoarding and storing food in it, that would be appreciated._

  
Loki looked ashamed, his head bowing away from the little woman as if he was being reprimanded. _I’m sorry, Asha. Can you find it within your heart of hearts to forgive such an offensive beast with deplorable manners and inexplicable urges to create a huge mess_? He grinned, his smirk letting his top fangs fall over his lower lip.

  
Much to the surprise of the King and Queen of Asgard, the tiny woman gave the crowned prince a not-so-gentle push and he fell out of the picture, laughing hysterically. _Hey, look! I found some smoked salmon!_

  
Frigga and Jane scrunched their noses in the thought of the smell that must be coming from that room. “Dear, please tell me you’re joking!”

  
The other end of the scry was filled with grunting and heaving and an _Oh, by the Norns, I can get up by myself!_ When the azure face came back into focus, it was joined by a plastic baggie, sealed, but full of the pink fish in question. Asha promptly took the offending, and most likely spoiled food from his clawed hand and left the picture. The salmon was replaced by Aiko.

  
_Hello Everyone!_ she said cheerfully waving at her family.

  
“Aiko! How are you today, my beautiful niece?” Thor asked, his hand resting on Jane’s thigh.

  
_Great! I just finished the first two Avengers portraits. I think they’re pretty cool, the idea of capturing them doing everyday tasks is genius. It makes them seem less, um..._ She stopped and rephrased. _It makes them seem more human, more like regular people. I can’t wait to do yours, Thor! I already have a wonderful idea!_

  
“Oh, really?” Jane asked, looking at her husband.

  
_Yes, I’ve been trying to capture the most important parts of these people’s lives. I already have Tony tinkering with a robot of some sort - He even let me into his lab! Blue is so jealous!_ The Jotunn rolled his ruby eyes, displaying exactly that. _I have Steve feeding pigeons at the World War II memorial. I think that it’s going to be a real tear-jerker. So I need something less depressing for the rest of the collection. Which is why you, Thor, are going to be changing diapers! There is nothing more important to you than family, right? So it’s perfect!_

  
“Oh, how the mighty have been brought low,” Jane giggled. “I love that idea, Aiko. And I would like a print of it, if possible.”

  
_Well, Christmas is coming, and the Royal Gallery will need to be updated. I’ve already started a rough sketch of Blue, which I’ll finish and paint soon. Let me get it for you._ With that the teenager disappeared from the picture.

  
“Now, be honest with me, Brother. Are things better on Midgard? Are you being treated kindly?”

  
Loki’s eyes softened, the spark of mischief leaving them for a moment. _Yes, things are much better. Natasha and Clint visit nearly every day and Steve has begun to join Aiko and I on the balcony in the late mornings. Bruce is here often, he and Asha have been seeing each other. I couldn’t be happier for the both of them, they are so in love. It reminds me of the two of you. Stark is, well, Stark, though he has made up for his lack of discretion a couple of weeks ago with what seems to be an endless supply of very high quality cuts of steak and organic eggs. He also has been organizing a baby shower, what ever that is. It is tomorrow, after the appointment, which is why I was wondering if you would be present._

  
“Oh, Tony didn’t have to go through the trouble of throwing a baby shower! That’s too kind of him,” Jane cooed, obviously pleased despite her words. “Of course Thor will be coming. I will see to it that he does!”

  
_Wonderful! I will tell Stark and Bruce. They will both be very pleased to hear that the parents will be present._ His red eyes shifted away from Jane again, towards something in the distance. _Oh Aiko_ , he breathed. _You’re work is stunning._

  
“Please let us see!” Frigga chimed in, leaning closer to the bowl on the table along with Jane. Thor smiled, again pleased that the young woman had found her way into his brother’s life. A pencil and charcoal etching filled the screen. It was a silhouette of a tall, horned figure, looking out at the skyline of New York City, a hand resting on his large stomach, his braid falling over his left shoulder, the shoulder closest to the artist. His profile, angled away from the artist, was pensive, remorseful, and hopeful, a small smile playing at his lips. It was heavily shadowed, as if drawn in twilight with the lights beginning to twinkle. “Oh, Aiko. It’s magnificent. I can just imagine it in oil paints. We shall need a copy of this for the gallery.”

  
_Now, now Grandmother. You will be receiving the original. A print can remain in the gallery._ Aiko’s shining face filled the screen again, her father’s broad face beside it. _Now Christmas is ruined. I guess I’ll need to keep painting..._ Her father kissed her cheek playfully.

  
_I guess you will, my Child of Love. And now, we must say goodbye. We will need something to discuss tomorrow. Also, I need to utilize the facilities. Love to you all!_

  
“And you as well, Loki. Have a goodnight!” Thor called as Jane waved and Frigga smiled warmly. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”


	63. Chapter 63

**New York City - Avenger’s Tower**

  
The morning dawned clear and bright. Loki watched the sun rise from his vantage as he leaned against the pool’s side. It was moments like these that he was reminded of the miracle of life, of the rebirth of day, of the task that awaited him in about eight weeks. The colors, pale watercolors on the blank canvas of the day, brought with them promise and hope.

  
The Jotunn reflected on his life, all the crazy experiences that he had endured, some of which he had brought on himself, and wondered how he had found the strength to keep going, to keep fighting. Especially in those years of self-hatred in his Midgardian prison or while he endured torture at the hands of Thanos and the Other. But sometimes that was the answer, just getting up when the sun got up and looking around and realizing that he was part of an amazing planet, an amazing collection of worlds with a wonderful and loving family, it kept him going. He smiled and pushed away from the wall and the view, stroking out into the center of the pool like a deformed whale, leaving a trail of tiny icebergs in his wake.

  
Jarvis woke him way too soon for his liking, but knowing that the recruits, many of whom were still not thrilled by his presence, would be able to access the pool, he could not begrudge the AI. “Thank you, Jarvis,” the Jotunn said, swimming to the edge of the pool and slowly waddled up the steps, gripping tightly, and subsequently icing, the railing.

  
A small Braxton-Hicks seized his pelvic bowl with one foot still in the water, causing him to bend over with a huff and wait for the sensation to pass. “Ugh. These are **awful** ,” he moaned, clutching the underside of his distended stomach and rolling his head back, his mouth gaping. When the paralyzing sensation stopped, he tried to move his leg that was still in the pool, only to find it encased in ice that crawled up his shin as well as the pool steps. “Oh, that’s new.” He yanked his foot out of the ice, taking a mental note to tell Bruce. It could cause problems down the road.

  
When he returned to his apartment, he was surprised to hear a male voice within the rooms that did not belong to his brother or one of the Avengers. He quirked an eyebrow, listening and silently treading through the living room and into the kitchen, only to find Asha scrambling eggs. Fixing his gaze on the Vanir woman’s face, he mouthed _Aiko_?

  
The woman gave a small smile while mouthing _In her room_. Loki cocked an eyebrow.

  
_Alone_?

  
The woman shook her head, giggling, _See for yourself_.

  
Loki felt a sinking feeling as his stomach dropped through the floor. His daughter was not alone. There was a man in her room. _A man_. He waddled as quickly as he was physically able, which, by this point was a hair faster than a snail, towards his daughter’s chambers. She had not used the rooms assigned to her since her heart-to-heart with the God of Thunder nearly three weeks ago, and it made him wary to think that she was there now...entertaining. Or at least, he hoped it was just entertaining.

  
The god paused outside the closed door of his daughter’s room, listening intently. The pair appeared to be having a conversation, though not about anything in particular. He did not hear the tell-tale signs of intercourse, no noisy kissing, sensual sighing, or, for the Norn’s sake, the creaking of a bed frame. He breathed a sigh of relief and raised a knuckle to the smooth surface of the wood when a flirtatious giggle sounded through the door. His eyebrows shot up. No knocking it was then.

  
The Jotunn burst through the door, his fangs bared and an ominous rumble rising from deep within his chest cavity that he didn’t even know he could produce. His daughter was leaning against her headboard, wearing a t-shirt and jeans, a woolen cardigan about her shoulders to combat the chill he needed to maintain a comfortable body temperature that even his ring seemed unable to stabilize. At the foot of her bed, facing away from the angry and possessive father, was a bare, pale blue and silver ridged back and a head of blonde hair.

  
“ _What_ is the meaning of this?” Loki growled darkly, his voice a low, menacing rumble, his eyes flashing dangerously as the young Jotunn rapidly turned to face him, sliding off the end of the bed in fright. The god registered that it was Ren, the boy that Aiko had spent the royal announcement feast dancing with, who, according to Thor, was close to her - a bit too close, the prince was now realizing.

  
Ren stared, dumbfounded at the greatly changed physique of the man in front of him, but also terrified at the wrath he had just incurred. “Ahhhh...I....Uh....Sir,” the boy stuttered.

  
Loki shifted his startling eyes to land on his daughter, who looked unamused, if not a little frightened. “Blue...Dad...Ren came here to see you and I was just keeping him company until you returned from your trip to the pool.” At least she looked slightly ashamed now, realizing what her father was probably thinking.

  
The advisor raised his horned head so that he towered over the two teenagers. “And why, might I ask, were you entertaining him in your bed room? With the door closed?” He kept his voice low and menacing, while allowing a hint of concern to resound in it’s rough depths.

  
“Well, um...he arrived and Asha was still asleep and we wanted to catch up without waking her.” She met his gaze, her eyes hardening slightly, taking Loki aback.

  
“I swear to you, Your Lordship, that that was all that was happening. I would not lay a hand on your daughter without your consent, My Lord. I swear.” Ren had found his voice and his peculiar copper eyes held the promise of honesty.

  
“Ren,” Loki said with added gravity. “I do not want to see you in my daughter’s bed chamber again: Is that understood?”

  
The young Jotunn gulped. “Yes, sir. Perfectly clear.”

  
“Good. Now please wait in the living room. I will be with you shortly.” His eyes left the boy and immediately fell on his daughter, who looked a bit shame-faced and downtrodden. The young man quickly exited the room, brushing by the older man with a small bow, before quickly taking off down the hall.

  
Loki, never taking his eyes off his child, waddled towards her bed and sat his rotund body down onto the springy surface. “Aiko, we need to talk.”

  
“I don’t think we do, _Dad_.” The word, once reserved for her feelings of deep love, was spat in his direction with such venom that it stung. “You’ve made it perfectly clear that I am not to have any interactions with boys - ever. Thanks for nothing.”

  
Her words, intentionally hurtful, wounded him deeply. He should be one to talk. Why when he was her age, he had already lost his Aesir ( _masculine_ ) virginity to a tavern wench who was a hundred times his age, and liked magic tricks. A single charmed rose and she was his for the night. A rather shoddy conquest, now that he reflected upon it, and yet, he could not let his daughter make the mistakes that he had. And yet, he reminded himself, he had to let her make her own mistakes.

  
“I just want you to be sure,” he breathed. “I cannot rule your life or our decisions for you. I have known that for as long as I have known you. I just ask that you think before you make life-changing decisions. Do not make the mistakes I did. Do not treat sex causally because it will make you callous and hard. It needs to mean something, for the both of you. And you need to understand that in that act of intercourse, you are giving yourself. It is the most selfless and meaningful gift you can give to another. Do not waste it or use it like it is nothing to you. It is everything to you, Aiko. It _is_ _you_.”

  
He paused, closing his eyes. “That being said, I like Ren, I really do. He is a fine young man who had witnessed some terrible things and has come out the other side better for it. He is also older than you, by a couple hundred years, and, while he has changed, he is still sorting his life out. Both of you are young. I do not want you to make a decision that the two of you may regret for the rest of you long lives.” He exhaled through his nose, squeezing the bridge of it gently.

  
“He is also half-Jotunn. I do not know what that means in terms of his...finding a life-mate. I do not know if it transfers to people like him or not, and I bet that neither does he. I am just worried that if he were to start a life with you in the near future, and then find his life-mate, it would be devastating. And I cannot see you hurt like that, Aiko. I cannot let you endure that kind of heart ache. Because I love you, my Child of Love. So very, very much.” Having said his piece, he eased his bulk off the mattress and moved towards the door laboriously.

  
“I’ll uh, leave you to your thoughts and be sure that Ren says good bye before he leaves - with the door open.” With that he shut the door firmly and made his way into the living room.

  
When Loki reached the living room, the young man stood at attention facing him, his face a mask of propriety. “Sir...” he began only to be stopped by a raised hand as the horned Jotunn made his way to a chair and sat with an exasperated sigh, sinking deeply into the scarlet cushions, thankful for the support it provided his throbbing back.

  
“Please, call me Loki. Something tells me that we will be seeing much more of each other. Have a seat. There is no need to stand on ceremony, no call to impress anyone.” Loki gesture to the arm chair opposite him. “Now, why has Helblindi sent you when he could just scry me himself?”

  
“I volunteered, my Lord,” the boy said, sitting carefully on the end of the chair and squirming as the velvet stimulated the sensitive ridges on his bare thighs. “Helblindi-King wanted to inform you that he and the rest of the royal family will be paying you a visit next week and that he comes with gifts for you, to help when your time comes.”

  
“Thank you, Ren, for delivering this message. Please tell my brother that I look forward to seeing him soon and that he is too generous with both his time and his resources.”

  
Loki was not surprised when the boy did not make a move to leave. “Is there something else that you would like to talk to me about?”

  
“Um...yes, Sir...” Loki cocked a brow and the young Jotunn rephrased. “Yes, Loki.” He gulped noticeably. “I would like your permission to date your daughter, please. I know that Aiko and I did not get off on the right foot but we are happy together and she completes me, you know?” The young man’s pale blue skin was beginning to become a startling shade of purple as he smiled shyly. “I know that it might sound too early, but I-I think I love her. She is smart and talented and beautiful and willful and opinionated. She is perfect.”

  
“Yes, she is,” Loki breathed. His eyes met those of the man across from him, taking in his love-struck face and took a mental note of the slight flaring of the young man’s nostrils and the added spark in his copper eyes. “How long?” he asked.

  
“I beg you pardon, My Lord?”

  
“How long have you been smelling her scent? Is it present, even when she is absent? Even when you are on Jotunnheim?”

  
“I’ve been able to smell her since my transformation, my rebirth, Sir - Loki. I can’t explain it, but lilac and oil paint seems to follow me everywhere.” He paused, looking rather ashamed. “Is that weird? I’m sorry, it’s kind of embarrassing.”

  
Loki closed his eyes, feeling his heart rejoice and break simultaneously. “She is it, then. Your life-mate.” He could feel tears prickle at the corners of his eyes, both for joy and for the pain of giving away his only child. His child whom he had held for a wonderful year and that he had selfishly hoped to retain for at least a thousand more.

  
“I guess so, my Lord.” Loki could see the truth behind the Jotunn’s words and in his kind smile.

  
Loki fixed his intense eyes on the man who sat rigidly opposite him. “I give you permission to court my daughter, Ren, but know this: I do not consent to any marking until after the Aesir ceremony.” The man opposite him looked confused. “Ask your mother about it, Ren. He will be able to explain everything to you. For now, I believe you have an errand to run and a young woman to bid good day.”

  
The young man stood and bowed low with gratitude. “Yes, thank you, My Lord,” he beamed before heading down the hallway.

  
Loki remained in his arm chair, his keen hearing following the young man to his daughters room and heard the door open, and, thankfully not shut. A few minutes later, the young Jotunn made his way back through the living room, gave Loki a swift yet courteous bow, and exited the apartment. The horned man continued to stare at the closed apartment door, his mind lost in the thought of losing his only child, his life, his savior after having her for a short, glorious year.

  
He jumped slightly when Asha set a plate of steaming eggs in front of him along with a mug of chocolate. “I’m sorry, Loki. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

  
“No, it’s fine, Asha,” he sighed, leaning back into the chair. “I needed something to get me out of my funk.” A scalding hot hand rested lightly on his lined shoulder, warmer due to the plate that it held second earlier. The gesture was comforting, despite the intense heat, and Loki smiled, finally finding the joy of the situation. His daughter would be happy and loved for a very long time. “Thank you. So much.”

  
“Anything for you, My Lord,” the Vanir woman said before retreating back into the kitchen and beginning to wash the dishes and clean in preparation for the arrival of the royal family. 


	64. Chapter 64

**New York City - Avenger’s Tower**

  
“Dad?” The word cut through his consciousness like a knife, bringing light into his tumultuous thoughts. A few hours had passed. His eggs, only half-eaten and then only out of necessity, had long grown cold and his cup of chocolate was untouched. He turned towards his daughter, looking up at her shining face that glowed in the light of the sun streaming through the windows, accenting her cheekbones and blue eyes under her dark hair. Loki smiled sadly up at her striking face, lifting a hand off of his broad stomach and reaching it out to her. She smiled back at him, taking the cool offering within her warm grasp and allowing him to pull her into a hug on his crowded lap. “I love you,” she whispered into the crook of his neck, barely audible to any but him.

  
The Jotunn leaned his lined cheek down onto the top of her head and breathed, “I love you too.” He held her tighter, as if she would vanish into thin air, pulled from his strong arms into those of another. One who was no less worthy, just he was not him. The babies wriggled between them, kicking and rolling furiously, and yet neither the Jotunn nor his daughter moved. Loki had never felt so content or so loved in his life until that moment and he wanted it to stretch on for eternity.

  
Instead, he quietly asked, “What did you tell him?”

  
The silence stretched between them as Aiko pulled back from his neck and met his questioning, saddened gaze, a tear perched on the lower lid of his right eye. She smiled softly as she wiped the drop away with her small thumb and let her hand rest on his cheek. He leaned into the heat ever so slightly, not knowing if this could be among their final moments in such a private and intimate setting, and not wanting to let her go. “I said no.”

  
The simple, two letter word rang in Loki’s ears with such joy and such unabashed exhilaration that he did not know how to respond. He was certain that his well-trained face was blank even as his heart flip-flopped and performed somersaults in delight. He would not be losing her after all, at least not yet. As calmly as he could, he cocked his head slightly and asked, “May I inquire as to why?”

  
“I’m not ready. It’s not that I don’t like him - I do, more than I thought possible, especially after everything that he put me through, but so much has happened to me in the last year and I’m not ready to be in a relationship right now. I told him as much and asked if we could try being friends first. No sense to be rushing into things when we have so much time, right? And besides, I finally have what I’ve always wanted: a family. A set of grandparents, an uncle and an aunt, a couple of cousins on the way. A father whom I adore and who loves me more than anything else. I am too selfish to want to leave that behind to start a relationship with a guy that I barely know! So, give it twenty years or so and we’ll re-evaluate.” She smiled her star-shaming smile at his surprised face. “That’s not what you were expecting, was it?”

  
In response, Loki pulled his daughter in and kissed her forehead enthusiastically, smiling so broadly that all of his brilliant, white fangs were showing. “No, but it doesn’t matter now, does it, my darling?” He squeezed her tightly, laughing and crying simultaneously, the hot liquid coursing down his cheeks and into his daughter’s chocolaty hair.

  
“Are you crying?” she asked into his neck, surprised.

  
“It’s the damn hormones,” he chuckled, knowingly allowing himself to be caught in a lie by his only child.

  
“LIAR!” she giggled back at him, elbowing him gently in his pudgy side.

  
“God of Lies, my dear, God of Lies,” he chuckled, his rich ‘ehehehe’ mixing with her tinkling, chime-like laugh to create a melody of familial love.  
_____________________________________

  
“How are we doing, Loki?” The kind doctor asked, a small smile on his face as he surveyed the crowded elevator. His patient, in the center of the huddled family, was taking the space that could have easily fit two people. Both of his blue, lined arms reached underneath his stomach, unable to touch, but providing much needed support for the babies. Jane had her own arms wrapped around one of the Jotunn’s with Aiko hanging off the other. The party was rounded out by Thor, who was grinning like an imbecile, and Frigga, who looked incredibly proud.

  
“Just fine, thank you Bruce.” Loki stepped carefully from the elevator, his waddle becoming increasingly apparent with every step that he took. “How are you doing?”

  
“Quite well, thanks. Looking forward to the shower later. It should be, uh, quite the interesting party.” The group made their way down the hall, causing a couple of strange looks to be shot their way from the patients within the ward. A small skirmish had left some of the younger, more reckless and, in Loki’s opinion, more breakable Avengers a bit battered and bruised. Which left plenty of eyes around the usually abandoned hospital floor to catch a glimpse of the slow-moving blimp of an alien.

  
By the time the family had reached the end of the corridor, Loki was almost relieved to enter the room with the pregnancy throne. Bruce had set up chairs for the royal family in the hallway, just outside the door, and gestured for them to site while he and Loki completed some of the more intimate exams.

  
As soon as the door closed, the Jotunn was all business. His wrist, already bleeding was offered to the mortal doctor as he stood backwards on the scale. His stomach was too large to accommodate the attached meter stick. Again, the god was thankful that his baby weight had arranged itself over that area, leaving his toned limbs and back intact. Bruce collected the samples he needed and took Loki’s measurements, his weight and girth having changed immensely since their last visit three weeks previous. Again, the Jotunn had to remind himself that the weight would come off quickly and that most of it was infant, but it still hurt to see that he was nearing 200 pounds and he would probably pass that marker soon.

  
Sighing, he waddled to the special chair with the leg holders and laboriously climbed into it with a grunt. “This is not getting any easier, Doctor Banner,” he joked. “How many more times will I have to do this?”

  
“Well, Loki. You and I both know that it depends on the little ones and how long they want to stay where they are. Maximum: 8 more times, or once a week until full term. It’s very exciting, don’t you think? It’s so close.”

  
“And not close enough,” the prince laughed. “Or, some days, too close.” He paused as the mortal continued to work, poking and prodding and squeezing, and inserting. Quietly, the god whispered, “Bruce, I’m scared. Terrified, actually.”

  
The flashlight beam, currently being aimed up his canal, snapped off. The doctor gently helped the Jotunn lower his legs and slide his loincloth back over his hips before collecting the plain breast band and helping his patient wrap his leaking and achy bosom. His face looked concerned but kind and gentle, sympathetic towards the statement the blue man had just made. Before going to open the door, the mortal took an icy, blue hand in his hot, calloused grasp. His brown eyes met the wide ruby orbs that resided below the azure brow and slate grey horns of his friend.

  
“Loki,” he began, “You would be a fool not to be frightened. This is something very new, something that Asha and I certainly cannot do anything more than try our best to help you and the babies. It’s not going to be easy or pleasurable or fun, and I am certain that you will be cursing anything and everything by the time we’ve reached the grand finale, but if anyone can do it, it would be you. You are the strongest person I know. And Asha and I will be there, every step of the way, I promise. I _promise_.”

  
He smiled softly, kindness playing at the corners of his encouraging eyes. The Jotunn couldn’t help but feel reassured by the smaller mortal in front of him, even as the babies between them punched and kicked at his insides as if begging to get out. The god flashed his fangs, unable to not grin at the doctor. “Thank you, Doctor Banner. For everything.”

  
“Don’t thank me yet, Loki. We’ve got two more months left, you and I.” The mortal smiled wider. “Now, let’s get on with the show, shall we?”

  
The two men chuckled and Bruce headed for the door to let the royal family in. Loki dropped his hands to the blue globe-like shape that had become his abdomen. He hummed nonsensically at the little ones, slowly their actions with his pleasant singing voice and his gently stroking hands.

  
His family noisily filed into the room, their excitement and loud voices filling the small space with an infectious happiness that washed away the rest of Loki’s fear. “Brother!” Thor enthusiastically clapped the blue, horned man on his back. “Everything alright?”

 

Loki nodded as Jane’s smaller hands flitted over his stomach. “Yes, my King. The heirs seem to be doing well.”

  
“And you, Loki? How are you?” Thor’s voice was smaller, barely a murmur that cut through the chatter of the women in the room.

  
“I’m well, Brother. Or as well as can be expected as my time nears,” Loki replied, laying a cool hand on his brother’s bulging bicep.

  
“Alright, children!” Bruce stated cheerfully. “Let’s get started!” The teal liquid was applied liberally to the blue stomach that was a wash of purple veins and thin Jotunn Ridges - no stretch marks. The heat from the gel made the pregnant man sigh as the babies relaxed under the pressure from the wand wielded by the mortal. The doctor sighed, “Okay, so this is Baby number one. As you can see, the womb is getting a tiny bit more snugly - it’s pressing against our little girl. Notice the curve of her spine as she rests against it. Ooh!” A collective gasp rose from the gathering as the little girl stuck her small thumb into her delicate mouth and blinked lazily. “She still seems to be comfortable, though, so I’d say that the little one’s aren’t coming this week. estimating her size, I’d say that Baby number one is about six pounds and 18 inches long. A big girl. Takes after her father, I’m sure.” The man snapped some pictures, capturing the beautiful bundle of joy that was growing within Loki’s womb. Her fast but steady heartbeat echoed along with the louder, slower beat of the Jotunn.

  
The wand wound over the rounded surface below it, causing Loki to moan as the pressure was placed on his full bladder. “Here’s Baby number two. I’m pretty sure that I’ve never seen him in any position that wasn’t spread eagle,” the doctor chuckled at the image on the screen. The little boy was currently kicking and pushing against the wall of Loki’s womb, his new favorite pastime. “God, I’m sorry Loki. That’s awful.”

  
“It’s fine, I’m used to it. And I’m a walking, talking ice pack, so no worries. Nothing I can’t handle,” the Jotunn replied, resisting the temptation to place his left hand on to the side that was being battered by a child who had apparently inherited his father’s strength.

  
“Well, this baby is healthy, a bit different from his sister, though I’d guess that he’s about six and a half pounds, eighteen and a half inches. I’m not entirely sure how this is possible.” The mortal man looked up and met Loki’s ruby eyes. “How are you carrying two and still have room?” His voice was small, questioning, his eyes probing. Even at the beginning of the eighth month, he was still in awe of his patient.

  
Loki raised his eyebrows at the obvious. “Jotunn. Helblindi and his 75 pound, three and a half foot newborn. Need I say more?” _I’m just worried about how they’re getting out_ , he added to himself, his nerves returning again as Banner snapped more pictures of the royal heir.

  
“Alright, your royal Highnesses. That concludes today’s show and tell. Who knows? Maybe next week, they’ll be turned around and in position - I kind of doubt it, but you never know.”

  
“How long could they stay like that, Doctor Banner?” Aiko asked, her eyes curious.

  
“In position? A few weeks. Just because they’re upside down doesn’t mean that they’re coming. Of course, it could mean that they’re coming. It all depends on them, and Loki’s body. How’s the yoga going?”

  
Aiko laughed. “Great! We’re having a wonderful time together, though I think I’m better.” She smiled sarcastically at her father who returned the gesture before sticking out his pink tongue.

  
“You’re not carrying an extra twenty pounds that tends to wriggled about, my Dear.”


	65. Chapter 65

The party was in full swing by the time the Asgardian contingent and Bruce entered the Penthouse. Loki had not expected anything less from the man who had offered him a drink as he was trying to take over the world and who was, subsequently, thrown out a window for his trouble. Tony spotted the open elevator doors right away from his spot by the bar, a whiskey on the rocks in his hand. “Ah! Here he is! Our guest of honor! The Blue Man and his Group!”

  
The gathering, consisting of the older Avengers and their significant others, many of whom Loki had never met, along with Agent Coulson, a rather uptight Asian woman who screamed danger, and a pair of mortal scientists: Eric Selvig, whose eyes went wide at the sight of Loki, and Darcy Lewis, who just breathed, “Cool.” The Jotunn immediately felt self-conscious but resisted his urge to attempt to cover any part of his swollen body with his arms and hands. It was a baby shower, after all. He was just a rather unusual looking provider of the babies in question.

  
The shower, much to Loki’s confusion, did not involve water in any way. Instead, it included a bunch of games that included not saying the word ‘baby’ for fear of losing a clothes pin that was attached to your person. The Jotunn, his wooden clip attached to his breast band, slipped the unwanted word out quickly, feeling ridiculous and underdressed as everyone else had theirs pinned to their sweaters and coats (Tony had graciously, lowered the AC to accommodate his specific needs, something that the god found rather touching).

  
Another game included creating baby names from the letters in the words: THOR, JANE, and LOKI. Needless to say, neither parent would give away their name choices and the partygoers were not overly original. Only Loki had ‘found’ the name Aiko among the letters, pleased that he had even beaten his daughter.

  
The last game, one that Loki enjoyed the most, was a game in which the guests had to answer questions about the parents as well as the carrier. Questions ranged from obvious (What’s Loki’s favorite color?) to quite difficult (What is Jane’s favorite memory?). While he did not know all of the answers regarding his sister-in-law, he did win the round about Thor, and was not allowed to participate in the trivia regarding himself, most of which Aiko knew, causing Loki to smile with pride.

  
The party drove to it’s ultimate sweeping gesture of happiness: dessert and gift-giving. The cake, a dark chocolate sheet with the words “Congratulations, Thor & Jane!” written across it in a delicate script with the letters of ‘Congratulations’ alternating between blue and pink with ‘Thor’ in blue and ‘Jane’ in pink. Loki, unable to partake in the cake, enjoyed a cup of ‘hot’ chocolate, prepared by Asha, and sat in the circle of the gathering, feeling included in the happy occasion, instead of rejected from it.

  
The assembled mortals began pulling brightly wrapped packages from the pile near the wide windows and thrust them into Jane and Thor’s hands. Next came the unwrapping, the confetti flying through the air with ribbons and bows, all of which Natasha dutifully collected and attached to a clean paper plate. Jane and Thor ooh’d and ahh’d over copious amounts of baby clothes, blankets, bottles and even a pair of wicker bassinets from Eric and Darcy. The stroller, created by the resident inventor of the Mach 1,000, was certainly state-of-the-art with enough room for two. It was convertible, and could be anything from a pram to a jogging stroller, though every incarnation made Loki chuckle at the thought of his elder sibling pushing it down the streets of Asgard, it’s metallic scarlet and gold Iron Man paint job shining for blocks.

  
Loki was surprised when he was handed the gift from Agent Coulson. His brow furrowed in surprise, while he accepted the gift graciously, with a soft, “Thank you.” The small box was addressed to both himself and his daughter, though she insisted on letting him open it - it was sort of his baby shower, after all. Carefully, very much aware of his ebony claws, he cut the tape and slowly slid the small box out of the comics it had been wrapped in. The box depicted the image of what Aiko called a camera, an instant portrait device. Quickly, his child’s small hands removed the box from his grasp, opened it, and removed the camera and batteries, scanning the instructions. Again, Loki found himself beaming, his fangs displayed in his total joy. “Thank you so much, Director Coulson. Aiko has been wanting one for such a long time. It is the perfect gift!”

  
A bright flash illuminated the room and made Thor, Frigga, and Loki jump, their heads swiveling towards the source. “Sorry!” Aiko said, no hint of remorse on her face. “I should have warned you that there can be a flash.” The rest of the gathering was laughing wildly at the bewildered Aesir and Jotunn, astonished that they had never seen a camera before.

  
The laughter that ran through the room was punctuated by more contained lightning-esque flashes as Aiko continued to capture candid moments, Natasha and Clint presented their gift. It was also for Loki, making the Jotunn lower his head as if he were blushing, though, due to his species, no color rose into his azure cheeks. “You certainly didn’t have to, Nat, Clint. Thank you,” he said.

  
“You’ll be thankful we did soon enough,” the Black Widow said, one hand on her partner’s knee while the other lay over her own small bump.

  
His curiosity peaked, Loki again removed the paper with surgical precision, to reveal a couple of bottles with peculiar tops. The tops had a piston on one end and a funnel on the other, a rather peculiar combination in the Jotunn’s mind. He held them up and turned to the gift givers. “What are these?” he asked, very sure that the question would garner a laugh - which it did.

  
“They’re breast pumps,” Natasha replied, elbowing a snickering Clint in the ribs. “You said that Jane was planning on feeding the kids with formula but you’re going to get an infection if you don’t get rid of your milk. It doesn’t just disappear, you know. It has to be expelled.” Loki blanched, his stomach sinking. He had hoped to avoid having to do anything with the two wriggling masses of Aesir that were currently within him once they were out in the world, much less the added masses of tissue over his pectoral muscles. He was going to recover from the birth, lose the little extra baby weight and his breasts in less than a month, and get on with life as normally as he was able. That, apparently, was not the case.

  
“Oh, I did not know. Thank you for telling me. The babies and my bosom thank you very much.” He smiled, hoping that his disappointment did not show on his face. Judging by the returned smiles from the two spies, he had succeeded.

  
The rest of the party consisted of chatting enthusiastically, a lot of stomach stroking, and Aiko snapping pictures of everyone wearing the paper plate, bow, and ribbon hat that Natasha had spent a majority of the time making. After his turn, his blonde oaf of a brother had wedged the craft project between the blue man’s horns and wound the longer ribbons around the protuberances, making him look like he had been caught running through a party store. He shot Aiko an unamused look before a corner of his mouth twitched and he had smiled, his ‘ehehehehe’ echoing through the gathering, unable to contain himself as he thought about how ridiculous he probably looked.   
____________________________________

  
The following Monday brought a couple of guests that Tony was not entirely enthusiastic about. Due to their size, the Man of Iron had grudgingly allowed Loki to host Helblindi, Elksa, and little Aksel in his high ceilinged penthouse. Which is what had led the Jotunn prince to be standing on the protruding arm of Avenger’s Tower, just outside of the launch pad, his arms cradling his stomach to aid in his balance. He was nervous and anxious, a feeling that the children had picked up on as they tossed and turned within him. When the Bifrost opened up, it’s rainbow light caused the pregnant man to relinquish the hold on his stomach with one of his hands to shield his sensitive eyes.

  
A deep, rumbling voice cut through the remains of the Bifrost beam. “Brother! You are looking very well!” Loki smiled and lowered his arm, returning it to the top of his bulging stomach before he was quickly wrapped into his younger sibling’s much larger, stronger arms.

  
“Oof!” Loki gasped, his already labored breathing cut off by his brother’s friendly embrace. “You are doing very well too, Brother-King.”

  
“Helblindi, put the poor Jotunn down.” Elksa placed a large hand on his life-mate’s shoulder, his other arm holding his sleeping infant. Helblindi, sheepishly placed his older sibling back onto the balcony, allowing Loki to see the full expanse of his twelve-foot body. His brother had regained his toned physique with the only exception being his still bound chest that hid his bosom. The sight gave Loki hope that his body would return to him quickly after birth, remembering that the King of Jotunnheim had looked much slimmer just a couple of weeks after the birth of his heir prior to Loki’s return to Asgard.

  
Grinning broadly, Loki gestured to the three other Jotunn to follow him into the penthouse where his daughter and assistant would be waiting. He waddled quickly along the walkway and through the glass doors of the penthouse. “Welcome to Avenger’s Tower, Helblindi-King, Elksa-King, Aksel-Prince.”

  
“Uncles!” Aiko called as she rushed towards the towering Jotunn, her arms wide. She was welcomed into first Elksa and then Helblindi’s arms, giving her cousin a swift kiss on his brow before pulling the family along towards the sitting area. Helblindi and Elksa took both couches, the pieces of furniture buckling under their large size. Aksel murmured, his high pitched mewling contrasting with the gravelly tones of the adult Jotunn.

  
The babe had grown nicely. He was at least four feet long and over hundred pounds . He was a handsome boy, his ridges were a light, almost sky blue against his near navy skin and he blinked his sleepy ruby eyes as he was roused from his nap. The cute factor quickly dissipated, however, when he opened his mouth and yowled, his not so small arms flailing.

  
“You’re up, Honey,” said Elksa with a small smile as he gingerly handed his young son to his life-mate. Helblindi quickly and efficiently unwound the bandages around his breasts, full and leaking at the sound of his heirs cries.

  
“I apologize,” the Jotunn king said quietly as his child latched onto his bosom. “When the heir commands, I must give him what he wants.”

  
“What a spoiled child,” Elksa chided, his claws stroking his child’s Crown.

  
“He deserves to be spoiled, does he not?” Loki said with a smile. “He is your heir, after all. Just do not make the same mistakes that Odin and Frigga made with Thor - make sure he knows respect and he will be a wise ruler.”

  
“I do not doubt his abilities, not when he will be guided by his cousins, one of whom has already proved to be a powerful diplomat,” Helblindi chuckled. “Tales of your fight for equality have reached Jotunnheim, Aiko-Niece. We are very proud of you and we have such confidence in the ruling of the Nine with you there to guide the future generations.” He smiled widely at the blushing girl who sat beside his sibling, her hand in his as it rested on his round stomach.

  
“Thank you, Helblindi-King, Elksa-King. It means so much to know that you are proud of the work I am doing. I just want to make the worlds a better place for my family, which includes your race and my father’s race that has been marginalized for too long. It’s not fair that something a stupid and short-sighted as skin or eye color, or claws or fangs, or height, or, in some cases, horns, causes people to become frightened and thus leads to the discrimination and marginalization. It’s not fair and it’s time that that changed.” She smiled brightly, the hope and promise of a brighter future on her face.

  
The Jotunn sat in comfort for a while, the only sound coming from Aksel as his mother switched him from one breast to the other. Helblindi was the one who broke the silence. “I am assuming that Ren told you why we were coming to visit?”

  
Loki nodded, having completely forgotten the young Jotunn’s promise of a gift to help him in his time. “Of course, Brother. It is kind of you to come, regardless.”

  
“Well, we are aware that your time could be very soon. I also know that you are not being aided by Jotunn healers, which could be problematic.”

  
Loki’s eyes widened. He had not thought about the fact that Bruce and Asha would be in contact with his skin, icy and sweating. Two more Aesir would come into contact with his uncontrolled skin: his brother’s children. He turned his worried gaze towards his younger brother. “What can I do?”

  
Elksa smiled, widely. “Why, Loki-Brother-in-Law, it’s simple. You just can’t sweat.”

  
Loki blinked rapidly, confused. “Is that possible? It is a normal bodily function. If I stop it, isn’t it still putting the babies at risk?”

  
“Well, yes,” Helblindi said, matter-of-factly. “That is why, Brother, we are giving you this.” Elksa pulled a small vial containing a deep purple liquid from his loincloth and offered it to Loki, who took it, examining the liquid within it. “If you drink this at the beginning of your labor, after your water breaks, it will help to keep you cool without releasing the Withering Touch over your skin, thus keeping your healers and Thor-King’s heirs safe.”

  
“Thank you, Brother-King, Elksa-King. This is a truly invaluable gift. I cannot thank you enough.” Loki was speechless, staring at the vial in his royal blue hand.

  
“That, Loki-Brother, is why it is a gift.”


	66. Chapter 66

The days flooded together for the pregnant man, his routine consumed his days and his stomach steadily grew. Within a week of his 34 week appointment with Bruce, he began to experience difficulty breathing, his lungs and other organs crowded by the babies.

  
His 35 week appointment with Bruce revealed that the little ones had each gained about half a pound of fat and that they had, in fact encroached on his lung space, pressing up against diaphragm as well as his intestines and, contrarily, his bladder.

  
The following week led to an increase in his Braxton-Hicks contractions, and, according to Bruce, his cervix was becoming effaced, or thinned in preparation for the birth. Baby number one had turned upside down, a strange sensation, as Loki found it easier to breathe on the right side of his body, while the left was still crowded. His right hip bone and pelvic bowl had also begun to ache with the added pressure and the extra pound each baby had gained.

  
Week 37 left Loki exactly where he did not want to be - in bed. Bruce had cheerfully proclaimed it to be “Doctor’s orders!” and had quickly escaped the verbal lashing the his patient threw back at him. To be fair, the Jotunn felt like a beached whale when he moved, his stomach moving in the opposite direction of the rest of his body as the babies shifted. He was still allowed his pool time, giving him a bit of exercise and a bit of comfort. Loki went earlier in an attempt to lull his exhausted body to sleep for more than an hour and a half at a time, floating from 2:30 until 7:30. While, he missed the presence of Aiko and her warmth, he was able to sleep comfortably.

  
After his return to the Asgardian apartment, he showered, to get the chlorine off his body and returned to his nest bed. Asha had kindly allowed him to place all the pillows in the apartment into his bed, giving into a cleaner, neater nesting without the stored food and awful smell.

  
To consume the time that he had spent doing other things, Aiko began to bring her work to him, spending hours sketching by his side as he continued to go about his princely duties: reading treaties, writing profuse notes on trade agreements, scrying his brother daily with his opinions about the happenings in Asgard, and, most importantly to him, annoying his brother senseless. After lunch, Aiko would crawl into the nest, shoving pillows out of the way, and snuggle into her father’s cool and round side, and the two of them would fall asleep, Loki’s purring resonating throughout the apartment. A hour or so later, the pair of them would wake up, roused by the pressure on the Jotunn’s bladder, and they would fall back into their regular routine of accepting visitors, usually Nat and Clint, who had revealed their happy news the previous week, Steve, and Bruce.

  
His weekly appointment left everything the way it had been the week before, plus another estimated pound for each baby. The girl had descended lower into his pelvis, obviously determined to enter the world first. Her brother, on the other hand, seemed content to remain spread out along his diaphragm, not making Loki’s breathing any easier or more comfortable.

  
The following week, the first in September, brought with it a bit of relief as the heir also found himself with his head facing the correct way, pressed against his sisters stomach. Loki’s tasks as prince began to slow to a trickle. The Jotunn was not amused, knowing that his brother was trying to keep his stress levels down, but was secretly thankful at the same time, using his free time to work on his Christmas gift for Aiko discreetly, knowing that she would be suspicious. He also began gathering items that he would need for the big day and organizing them for Asha to put into his ‘hospital bag.’ He included the vial from Helblindi, the breast pumps from Natasha and Clint, two onesies that had “Daddy’s Little Avenger” on them along with the baby sweaters - gold and silver, knitted by Asha, a couple of blankets and burp clothes, and a large quantity of cloth diapers, baby formula, a large tunic and a pair of loose fitting pants for him, extra breast bands and loincloths, and, lastly, the book of Jotunn fairy tales.

  
Week 39 and Loki, carrying thirty pounds of baby, placenta, uterine fluids, and breast tissue, was very much done. He could not wait for the babies to get out of him, to see his misshapen feet again, feel like he didn’t have to pee every half hour, and to be able to walk normally, for miles, instead of waddling a few feet at a time, hands wrapped around his distended abdomen. At the same time, he was terrified to the impending birth and the pain that accompanied it. He spent most of his days singing and reading to the babies, keeping them from their constant quest to bludgeon his insides. He was exhausted, getting barely more than an hour of sleep at a time, even the weightlessness of the pool did not help. Due to his sleep-deprived state, he became very short with both his daughter and his friend. Loki felt bad because of it and found himself profusely apologizing and then turning around and snapping at them again.

  
Frigga came to stay with her youngest son starting at the beginning of the fortieth week. Her presence was comforting but stressful at the same time. Loki felt like she was constantly waiting for him to pop. He felt like that would never happen. The babies, according to Bruce, continued to grow, gaining weight daily and growing centimeters, nails, and hair. The added positive of his mother’s presence allowed Loki to raise a few pressing concerns.

  
“I am assuming that the All-Father had told you about his request,” Loki said, his face unamused.

  
Frigga smiled sadly. “Yes, he has told me of his intentions. I am sorry that you are being forced into this, Loki, but I feel like Odin is making the right decision.”

 

“Really?” The Jotunn regarded the All-Mother critically. “You’re going to take his side?”

 

“Loki.” Frigga took her son’s hand even though he refused to look her in the eyes. “I know that you and Odin do not see eye to eye on so many things, including your childhood, how you were told about your true heritage, your punishment on Midgard. Though, I think that the latter ended up bringing some wonderful things, Loki. Think of Aiko, think of Thor and Jane and their children.” Her son sighed, unconvinced. “We both know that Thor can control the storms and harness their power, but that is the only seidr he possesses. While he is a just ruler, his wisdom comes from his Chief Advisor, which, last I checked, was you, Loki. You could make such a difference to the Nine, Loki, only you.”

  
“But what if I do not want the title? What if I want to help, but I don’t want the credit? I enjoy being behind the scenes, Mother. I find that I am much better at advising than ruling.” Loki was looking out the window, watching the seagull and sparrows flying by the floor to ceiling glass. Free. Something he never would be, he now knew. He had been, and forever would be, bound to serve the Aesir.

  
A warm hand touched his cheek, causing him to flinch away. He did not want her sympathy. “Loki, please look at me.” Her voice was soft, pleading. He was not swayed, his intense gaze focused out on the skyline.

  
“I think that I can fix this, so that everyone wins. I will have to discuss it with Thor and Odin, but I think that it will work.” She paused, sensing that her youngest child’s interest had been peaked. “I will only do it if you look at me.”

  
The Jotunn closed his eyes and exhaled slowly as his head turned back towards the woman seated at his bedside. Her warm touch returned to his cheek, rubbing the Bergelmir’s Tears found there lovingly. “You know that I am on _your_ side, Loki. And that I have always loved and supported you, through everything. What makes this any different?”

  
Loki opened his eyes, his ruby gaze meeting her slate grey orbs calmly. “It is different because you side with _him_.” He paused, his eyes searching her face. “What Odin has not considered is not the effect that my appointment will have on the Nine. _That_ is something that he has thought long and hard about, or he wouldn’t have forced the title on me anyway, even after my refusal in May. No. You are right, and he is right. I can bring about change to the Nine realms that Thor could only dream of. What he did not think about, Mother, is how it will effect _me_. The power that comes from such a position, power that I had a taste of once. That ultimate power corrupted me, twisted me into the monster I am, hidden deep inside. Everyone thinks that I have changed, Mother, including you. But I know better. The beast is still there, buried deep behind my remorse, my repentance, my struggle to become a better man, to be a force for peace. It is sleeping, laying in wait for the right opportunity. I cannot feel it, but I know it’s there. One cannot just change, Mother, and the power wielded by the All-Father is absolute. It will wake the monster.”

  
Frigga’s thumb never faltered in it’s stroking. Her other hand brushed some loose hair off of the Jotunn’s forehead and away from his horns. “My son,” she whispered. “There is no monster. It is but ambition and cunning and it is something we all possess. It is nothing to be ashamed off. If you were truly a monster, would you be here? No. You would still be locked in that Midgardian cell. Instead, you have a lovely daughter who loves you so very much. You are carrying the heirs of your kingdom when your Queen could not. You are helping to cure mortal ailments with your knowledge of herb lore. And you are refusing a title that was always meant to be yours.”

  
Loki’s brow furrowed and he reached a hand up to cover his mother’s. “What?”

  
“Odin always told you that both of you were born to rule, but only one of you could be king. What do you think that means?” Her grey eyes were soft and earnest, causing Loki to feel ashamed about the answer that he gave next.

  
“He meant that Thor was the rightful and only heir to Asgard and that he would rule the realm and the Nine as King and All-Father, and I was the first born runt of the Jotunn king, stolen from my home and denied my throne.”

  
The All-Mother laughed, a light, musical sound. “And what would have happened if Odin did not take you, Loki?”

  
“I would have frozen to death, cast out and unwanted.”

  
“Let’s, hypothetically, say that that did not happen. That Laufey kept you and raised you in his court. Would you be ruling Jotunnheim right now?”

  
“No,” Loki answered quietly. “Helblindi would still rule due to his superior size and strength.” He stopped, the true meaning of the All-Father’s words from long ago finally making sense. “You think that the All-Father always intended for me to follow him?”

  
“That is exactly what I am saying, Loki. It is only once a generation that a powerful sorcerer, one with the strength to wield the power of the Nine, is born. Odin knew that it was you.”

  
“So, taking this title is my destiny?” Loki stated slowly, feeling the gravity of the situation. “And what if I still do not want it acknowledged? You said that you had a plan.”

  
Frigga smiled mischievously, a look that Loki had never seen his mother wear. “Why, yes, Loki, I do.”


	67. Chapter 67

“Ahh!” Loki woke with a sharp, stabbing pain in his lower region and attempted to roll to his other side. His daughter, his constant companion, helped, a worried look in her eyes.

  
“Are you okay, Blue? Should I call Asha or Grandmother?”

  
Loki, finding relief on his other side, replied, “No, no. I’m alright. Just more Braxton-Hicks. Go back to sleep, my Child of Love.” He kissed his child’s brow and attempted to follow his own advice.

  
He lay, staring at the door to the bathroom for what seemed like an hour before finally sighing in frustration and rising slowly from the bed, trying not to rouse the sleeping teenager. He waddled his way into the marble room, closing the door and not bothering to turn on the light, his Jotunn eyes adjusting to the darkness. He sat on the toilet with a huff, his ability to pee like a man disappeared over a month ago, and relieved his bladder, the babies kicking in response to their loss of their pillow. “Sorry,” he muttered, not feeling any remorse in the least and started to hum softly, his voice echoing off the walls.

  
His business complete, he turned to flush and notice something. A couple somethings. A thick, stringy mucus had sunk through the water in the bowl along with a bit of blood. Flushing the mess down, Loki returned to his nest, determined to get a couple more hours of sleep before the real show began. “Today’s the day,” he whispered to the dark and to the babies. “Today is the day that you will greet this crazy world.”  
___________________________________

  
A three hours later, Loki was up and walking about the living room, dining room, and kitchen of the apartment, still trying to allow his mother, daughter, and soon-to-be nurse sleep. The contractions, while not intense, had been coming steadily for the last hour. They were still relatively far apart, about five in the last hour, nothing, he constantly reminded himself, to be worried about. He doubled over and gasped as another contraction shook his frame, causing him to grasp the back of the couch for support, his claws tearing through the material as if it were a loaf of freshly baked bread. As soon as the sensation passed, he resumed his walking, stopping only to take a drink of water, reminding himself to stay hydrated and trying not to think of the amount of liquid he’d be losing later in the day.   
______________________________________

  
At 8:00 am, Asha came into the living room to find Loki walking about aimlessly in circles, a clock clasped in one of his clawed hands. “Loki?”

  
“Yes, Asha?” The Jotunn stopped and looked at the Vanir woman.

  
“Are you alright?” She was giving him a funny look, as if whatever he said next could not possibly be true.

  
“Yes, I’m fine,” he replied. The contractions were coming steadily once every ten minutes, still nothing to be worried about. They were manageable. He knew that the real fun would begin when they became five minutes apart and his water broke. “Could I possibly get some eggs?”

  
“Of course! I’ll get them for you right away!” Asha said cheerfully, turning into the kitchen just in time to miss another contraction, which Loki handled in silence. He knew that as soon as the babies were born, he’d have to give up eating cooked food again, and he wanted that last plate of eggs.   
____________________________________

  
Loki was, thankfully, in the bathroom when it happened. An intense, concentrated and sharp pain sliced through his lower abdomen and fluid gushed out all over the tiled floor. “ASHA!” he called, “WE’VE GOT TO GO!”  
_____________________________________

  
The birthing room was really just a modified hospital room. The walls were a boring eggshell white, the bed was hard and adjustable and not at all accommodating for a Jotunn with horns. There was a wide window that currently housed several excited, though rather let down faces - everyone but Asha and Bruce had been locked out of the room. They were currently watching Loki pace about the room with his back arched and his engorged stomach lifted in the air as Bruce and Asha watched.

  
Loki had removed his ruined loincloth and opted for a rather shabby robe instead, knowing that covering his mutilated genitals at this point was rather pointless. However, also knowing about the window, he had knotted it shut under his stomach.

  
“Gah!” He groaned as his legs shook and Asha and Bruce grabbed his hands, thankful for Helblindi’s gift that allowed them to touch their patient as well as get him more comfortable. Bruce felt awful, only guessing at the pain that Loki was experiencing through his natural birth, no needles able to pierce his rock-like skin.

  
“How long?” Loki was breathing deeply through his sharp teeth, a steady hissing noise escaping with every exhale.

  
“That’s about five minutes,” Bruce said, stopwatch in hand. “Let’s get you on the bed and take a look. Asha quickly drew the curtain around the bed, allowing the pregnant man his privacy and Bruce helped him to clamber on the hard mattress and recline against the raised back, the pain from his horns contacting the surface not even noticeable as he raised his legs and spread them. The flashlight flicked on. “We’re at about four centimeters, Loki. You’re doing very well. Let me check their heartbeats.” A smaller version of the ultrasound machine was pressed against the Jotunn’s stomach, a strong beat echoing around the room from one side and repeated again on the other. “They’re doing great, too.”

  
The Jotunn rolled off the side of the bed, knowing that he still had some time before the babies came. “What time is it Doctor Banner?”

  
“About 2pm. Why?”

  
The laboring man rolled his eyes and sighed. “I’ve officially been at this for 12 hours. ARGH!” His claws cut through the unlucky mattress as another contraction hit.

  
“That was four minutes, Loki. Only a few more hours, right?”

  
The Jotunn moaned in frustration, cursing his brother, his sister-in-law, the Norns for creating the stupid intersex Jotunn, the Fates for making him one of them, and mostly, himself for _volunteering_ to do this. “Remind me to castrate Thor when I see him next,” he muttered darkly as he began to walk about the room again, his hands pressed against his low back.   
_______________________________

  
“THOR!” Loki roared, his voice carrying into the hallway. “I HATE YOU SO MUCH! I SHOULD HAVE KILLED YOU WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE! GRAH!”

  
Hidden behind the curtain, Loki’s hand gripped the back of the bed, which was uneven. Chunks of mattress and mutilated metal lay on the floor, removed from the bed by Asha who continued to rub and stimulate the Ridges on her friend’s back.

  
“You’ve got this Loki. You can do it! You can do anything!” She repeated calmly as her anxious eyes looked down the long body towards the mortal doctor at the other end.

  
Bruce was again examining the Jotunn’s cervix, trying to determine if he could be ready to push. “We’re at 10 centimeters, Loki. It’s up to you now. Wait for the next contraction and feel free to push.”

  
He ran his gloved hands over the large abdomen, feeling the locations of the two babies and checking their strong and steady heartbeats. The Jotunn had been a trooper, though the mortal could see that the length of the labor was taking it’s toll. He had been going for sixteen hours and hadn’t even begun to push yet. Bruce was determined to make the actual transition and second stage as quick and as free from complication as he could. Loki deserved it.

  
The Jotunn rolled over, taking almost a seated squatting position, his legs drawn up to his sides, stretching his nether region to Bruce. Asha gave him a sip of water, knowing that the next contraction would be coming soon, and wiped some of the grimy sweat from his brow. “Just keep breathing for me, okay?”

  
“I will if you w-AHHH!” Loki’s mouth opened in a wordless roar as a contraction froze his body, his arms wrapping themselves around his knees as he bore down.

  
“Great job, Loki! I see the crown of the head! One more push and we’ll have a baby!” Bruce could hardly contain his excitement, his hands ready a long with a soft, fluffy towel beside him on the bed.

  
The next contraction came fast, taking Loki by surprised. He followed his instincts anyway and pushed, his roar being met by a high pitched cry and a small relief of pressure. “It’s a girl!” Bruce said, holding the bloody, purple, and screaming child for the Jotunn to see.

  
Weakly, Loki lay back against the pillows that he was propped up against. “Let me see, please.” The doctor placed the squirming and shrieking infant into his patients arms. To his surprise and astonishment, Loki did not really look at the child. Instead, he raised her slightly and dipped his head beneath her. His sharp teeth severed the umbilical cord, blood smearing his mouth and making him look frightening. His ruby eyes then looked over the child that had lived within him and she bawled loudly. “Welcome to the world, Jewel of Asgard.”

  
He gently handed her to Asha as Bruce tied off the remains of the umbilical cord and prepared the routine tests that would be run. Loki enjoyed his respite, the heir still within him, but his body quiet for the time being.

  
“Our little girl, born at 6:42pm September 23 weighing 9 pounds 7 ounces and measuring 17 inches exactly,” Bruce announced before turning to leave the curtained area to show the newest addition to the royal family to the people at the window. A loud cheer erupted, loud enough that Loki could hear it through the closed door and the bullet proof glass of the window, when Bruce drew closer, the pink cap on the baby’s hairy head not deterring their celebrations in the least. Loki smiled, so proud that he was able to bring such joy to people.

  
The smile quickly turned into a grimace as the contractions returned, more intense than the last time and he felt the urge to push again. “GRAHHHH!” he bellowed, causing Bruce to quickly set the little lady down in a small, plastic hospital crib, and return to his position between the blue man’s bent legs.

  
“No head yet, Loki. Don’t push!” He yelled, stopping the man from his intended action. “Ride this one out.” Loki shot him the darkest and most hate-filled look that Bruce worried that the murderous Loki had returned. Once the contraction had passed, Bruce checked again.

  
“Don’t kill me, please. I’m just doing my job,” he whispered as his hands ran over Loki’s smaller, but still rounded stomach. “He’s in position. Heart rate is strong. A small push next time should encourage him to get his head towards the opening, ok?”

  
Loki nodded as he panted. “I’m...sor-ry....Bru...Bruce....I...swear...I don’t....hate you.”

  
“I know. You’re just terrifying when you’re angry and now would be the worst time for the Other Guy to show up, don’t you think?”

  
Loki’s eyes went wide, having totally forgotten about the possibility of the Hulk making an appearance in this stressful situation.

  
“I’m okay, Loki. I’m fine. There is nothing for you to worry about. I am in complete control. I swear to you.” The prince nodded, though his ruby eyes were still fixed on the doctor, wary until he doubled over again with a hiss that turned into a deep, rumbling grunt.

  
“I have the top of a head. A dark-haired one at that!” Bruce yelled through the contraction as Asha rubbed Loki’s upper back.

  
“You can do this, Loki. You’re so close. Only one more and then you’ll be done!” She had remained rather cheerful and encouraging through the entire ordeal. Loki had decided that she need a vacation once this was over and he was back in Asgard. A nice, long, relaxing vacation with a certain mortal doctor who might turn green from time to time.

  
His thoughts were interrupted by an intense, shooting pain and the overwhelming urge to push. He gave in with a high-pitched, keening scream.

  
“It’s a boy!” Bruce shouted as the baby slid out of the exhausted Jotunn. “An heir for Thor.”

  
Loki simply held his hands out, his last act of strength given in the instinct to cut his own cord. “The heir,” he murmured as he gave the baby over to Asha to clean and Bruce to run the newborn tests.

 

“We have an heir, born at 6:57 September 23 weighing 11 pounds 4 ounces and measuring 19 inches 6 centimeters. A regular monster.”

  
“Just like his father,” Loki murmured, exhausted yet elated. He had done it. And, in retrospect, it hadn’t been awful. His body gave another shuddering contraction, expelling the placentas from his womb and firming his uterus. He placed a hand on his now thin stomach, missing the feel of the tight roundness and the small movements within him. Then he remembered the results, beautiful and perfect, destined to be well-loved, and he smiled.

  
“Would you like a shower, Loki?” Asha asked. “Get you cleaned off before we let people in?”

  
“Yes, though a bath might be better. I don’t think my legs can handle standing right now.” He beamed at his small friend. “We did it, didn’t we, Asha? You, Bruce and I?”

  
She beamed back, pride reflected in her hazel eyes. “Yes, we did, My Lord. Though you did most of the work.” She helped him to standing, her hand accidentally brushing one of his engorged breasts causing him to wince. “We’ll have to pump after. Relieve some of that pressure.”

  
Loki just nodded, looking forward to immersing his aching limbs in luke warm water for a few minutes. 


	68. Chapter 68

About a half hour later, Loki and the babies were all cleaned and dressed, the bedding had been changed, and the news of the birth of the heirs of Asgard has spread through the Tower. Loki was tired but comfortable, dressed in a tunic and loose pants that covered his still foreign and empty-feeling body. He and Asha had made short work with the breast pumps and the hot milk was ready for Jane to feed the babies on Bruce’s orders. The colostrum was full of nutrients and antibodies that the babies needed to build up their immune systems for the first week or so of life. After that time, Jane would start them on formula if she and Loki chose to do that. Something told the doctor that the Jotunn would be more involved in feeding duties than he had originally thought he had wanted to be.

  
“Shall we let them in?” Bruce asked, his hand resting on the door knob, the mob visible through the window from his bedside. Loki nodded, too tired to respond verbally, his voice strained from his repeated misuse of it just an hour earlier.

  
Much to his surprise, his family was quiet when they entered, Jane and Thor immediately hurrying to their babies, swaddled side by side in two hospital cribs. Aiko beamed at her father proudly, running and jumping into his bed, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing the center of his brow. “You did it, Blue. You did it!” she whispered as she smiled into his tired, ruby eyes. “Can I get you anything? Water? Food?”

  
Loki smiled, just pulling his daughter closer to his side, letting her rest her head on his shoulder, her long, unbraided hair splayed across his still full chest. He hummed, rumbling deep with in himself, showing his contentment as he ran his claws gently through the dark brown curtain on top of his child’s head. “I love you, Blue.” She murmured, snuggling closer. He kissed her head, never ceasing with his humming as she listened to his strong, steady heart.

  
Their moment was quickly interrupted by a sharp cry that was echoed by another of a slightly different timbre. “Oh!” Jane gasped. “They must be hungry. I know that they haven’t been fed yet. Oh, gosh, Thor, isn’t this exciting?” The Queen of Asgard enthusiastically grabbed a bottle provided by her brother-in-law and gently picked up the little girl, cradling her to her chest. “Shhh, shhh, little darling. Mommy’s here and she’s going to feed you.”

  
A quick glance at her husband revealed that he had yet to make a move. “Well, Thor. Pick him up! He’s obviously hungry too.” The bewildered, and slightly lost looking King of Asgard picked up a bottle, which looked utterly minuscule in his large hand, and his son and headed for a chair.

  
Both parents, cooing to their respective babies, struggled to get them to latch on to the nipples, milk leaking all over the squawking newborns and their parents. “Help me!” Jane cried. “Frigga, why won’t she take the bottle?”

  
The All-Mother, who had been talking with Asha and Bruce ever since she had entered the room, strode briskly to her daughter-in-law. “Do you have a different shaped nipple? They may not like the shape.”

  
“No.” Jane was near tears, as was Thor, though he would never admit it. “We left them in Asgard. These were the ones that came highly recommended.”

  
“Well, darling, sometimes babies don’t like the bottle.” At that statement, Loki was already pulling the tunic over his head and getting it tangled in his horns. Aiko, helped her father sort out the confusion as he lowered his hands to his securely wrapped breast band, small dots of colostrum already bleeding through despite his pumping only a short time ago.

  
“Here,” he said, his voice rough and soft. “Let me.” Thor rushed over, quickly handing his bawling son to his younger sibling and backing away as if terrified. Loki settled the babe into his left arm, which Aiko draped with an extra blanket, and hummed to him, before turning his gaze to Frigga.

  
“Mother, I need my seidr, please.” She nodded and walked to her youngest son, placing her warm hand on his arm and releasing the lock she had placed on his magic. The release of the power within gave Loki a rush of energy, which he promptly used to transfigure his bosom into a pair of full, pale Aesir breasts, warm to the touch. Smiling at the strange splash of pale skin but pleased that he didn’t have to pull the glamor over his entire body, Loki offered his left breast to the crying infant in his arms.

  
The heir immediately latched on, hungrily pulling the nutrients from his bearer’s body into his own. Loki smiled, a deep purr rumbling through his chest as he looked at the greedy child that he held.

  
The mewling from the sister drew nearer, causing Loki to raise his ruby gaze from the first baby to the sad face of his sister-in-law. He took her offered charge in his free arm and, again, raised the child to his free breast. The little girl, as if not to be out done by her brother, quickly connected and began to fill her eager stomach with the rich, warm colostrum that she found there.

  
Loki’s brow furrowed and he again looked at his sister-in-law. “I am so sorry Jane,” he murmured, his voice the only sound besides the rapidly drinking infants. “I know how much you wanted to -”

  
“It’s fine. It’s ok. It’s probably just the nipple, right?” Loki smiled sadly and nodded his agreement, not believing it for a second. He looked down at the babies, the two beings he had carried for nine months and he could feel his heart swell with the love he felt for them, with the maternal instinct that was clawing at him. He released his calm, metered purr, lulling the full babies to sleep as they dropped away from his breasts, eyes blinking slowly. He needed to remind himself that these babies were not his. They belonged to his brother, his sister-in-law, and he needed to let them bond with their children.

  
He offered the twins to their parents, as they drifted away, succumbing to their own exhaustion. Deliberately, Loki rebound his chest and pulled the tunic over his head. “What are you going to name them?” he asked quietly, a soft smile playing on his ice blue lips as he watched the parents rock their children to sleep.

  
“Daryn Runa for our little princess,” Jane said, bending to kiss the little blonde head of the little angel in question.

  
“And Torsten Loki for our heir,” Thor beamed back at his brother, whose eyebrows shot up in shock. “We thought that it would be appropriate. A namesake for the one who made this possible and a memorial for our first child, the heir that never would be.”

  
“They are beautiful names, for beautiful children. I am so proud of you!” Frigga said, her arms wrapping around Jane’s small shoulders and beaming at Thor. “It’s about time we had some tiny feet running through Bilskirnir again. The halls have been so quiet of late, now that my boys are grown and responsible.”

  
Loki chuckled. “Is that an invitation, Mother? Now that I am...more limber, shall we say, who is to say that I will not be back to my old tricks? I have heard that the topiary garden is missing something. But never fear! As the Chief Advisor, I will put it to rights as soon as I -” He yawned, revealing his incredibly white and pointed teeth, “-return to Asgard.”

  
“You should rest first, Blue. Mischief can wait,” Aiko giggled, pulling the covers around her father’s much thinner form and propping his head up on pillows to take the pressure off his horns. She kissed his cheek, and that was the last thing he remembered.   
_________________________________________

  
...Until two hours later, when the babies began to cry, mewling for milk. Loki groaned, a hand rubbing his tired eyes while the other pushed back the covers that had wound their way around his aching body. Slowly, so as to not apply too much stress on his sore and stiff joints, the Jotunn pulled his tunic over his head, the fabric escaping his horns, and began to unwrap his throbbing chest. Sleepily, he blinked, surveying the room. Jane and Thor were asleep, Thor’s thunderous snoring drowning out the soft whines of his children. Besides the two rulers, wrapped in each other’s arms in a rather uncomfortable hospital arm chair, he was the only one in the room. The only one hearing the cries of the newborns.

  
Stiffly, he swung his long legs over the side of the cot and robotically moved towards the crib. Darkly, he muttered, “These are not my children, Thor. That was not the deal. I am not a nursemaid...” His complaints failed him, stopped by the two babes before him, swaddled and side by side, their unfocused eyes searching until they found the mass of blue above them. Their crying intensified.

  
Picking up one child, then the next, Loki shifted his bust to it’s warmer, female Aesir appearance and offered it to the newborns. The crying stopped immediately, replaced with contented suckling noises and small noises of happiness. The Jotunn smiled at his two charges, relishing the closeness that he felt with the two little beings. Quietly, he whispered, “I know that I am frightening, but I promise that I will not harm you or let any harm come to you. Never, for I am gentle and kind, and you are the future. Bright and beautiful.” He sat back on the hospital bed and crossed his legs, allowing his knees to support his tired arms, ignoring the pull and stretch that he felt in his aching pelvic bowl, happy because the two perfect beings he held were happy.

  
As they fed, the Jotunn thought. This feeling, the absolute selflessness of giving the very nutrients from one’s own body was an amazing feeling. It was something that he knew Jane had hoped the capture through bottle feeding before the babies became picky. Closing his ruby eyes, Loki concentrated on the plastic nipples of the baby bottles, shaping them and changing them so that they were softer but firm, larger and rounded, the nipples flexible and just the perfect length. He sighed, opening his eyes and looking over at the table where the bottles, now washed and empty, sat forlornly in their disuse. The tops were now perfect clear casts of his nipples. The newborns would drink from them, he was certain, and he would be able to rest and recover in peace.

  
The tiny heirs unlatched, sighing contentedly. Gently and slowly, the prince raised them to his broad shoulders and burped them, purring softly instinctually and lulling them to sleep. As he replaced each one into the crib, their tiny, perfect faces betraying the smallest hint of a smile, he kissed their heads, overwhelmed by the love he felt for them. The little girl, thin and delicate, seemed to be the perfect combination of her parents, beautiful with small features like her mother with her father’s blonde hair and sky blue eyes. The boy was different in almost every way. He was large with broad shoulders and a long torso, black hair, not unlike Loki’s, and, even more peculiar, emerald eyes. If it weren’t for Thor’s nose or Jane’s chin, Loki could have swore that it was his child, the image of his infant self once Odin had transfigured him.

  
He was not sure how long he stood watch over the babies, but his incessant yawning and sore body reminded him that he needed to take care of his needs as well. Stiffly, he made his way to the bathroom, not pleased to find that his abdomen now looked like a deflated blue weather balloon, the skin hanging loosely and shifting as he walked. His half-brother had told him that the Jotunn’s skin was stretchable and that the elasticity would slowly pull the area taut again with in a couple of weeks. What he was happy to discover was that his member had returned to it’s normal, outward position, not needing to be out of the way any more.

  
When he had completed his business, he returned to bed, throwing his favorite robe about his shoulders. He saw no point in rewrapping, much less putting the tunic back on if he was going to be woken up again in a few hours to pump or feed. Crawling beneath the itchy sheets, his ridges protected from the worst of it by his pants and robe, Loki restacked the pillows and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.   
___________________________________

  
A rancid smell tickled the blue nostrils of the slumbering man long before the shrieking did. His ruby eyes snapped open, knowing immediately what he was inhaling. “Thor!” he grumbled loudly, “Change your kids!”

  
Loki sat up, feeling a bit better rested than before, but not anywhere near ready enough to face the two shrieking babies alone again. His brother and sister-in-law were still fast asleep in the chair. Loki groaned, his bosom already leaking from the babies cries. “Thor!” he snapped loudly in the direction of the chair. The sleeping Aesir did not stir. Not wanting to wait any longer, the Jotunn summoned a perfect ball of snow in his hand and threw it at his brother’s all-too well-rested face, the powdery orb bursting into tiny flakes.

  
“RAH!” Thor yelled, bolting awake and dumping Jane on the tiled floor. “What?!”

  
“OW! THOR!” Jane hissed up at her husband as he pointed accusingly at his younger sibling who was reclining on the only bed in the room, a breast pump in each hand.

  
“Can you not hear your children? Can you not _smell_ them?” the Jotunn inquired, his eyebrows raised. “Last I checked, they were not my responsibility any more.”

  
“Says the man that’s been feeding them,” Thor threw back.

  
“Because I _have_ too! Do you want them to starve?!”

  
The yelling had only increased the newborns’ obvious distress. Loki rolled his ruby eyes in exasperation. He tapped into his seidr, willing the bottles to fill faster and the throbbing of his full breasts to go away, relieved by the release of his milk.

  
“Why are you pumping?” Jane asked, picking herself off the floor. “They won’t drink from the bottle and if you’re empty they’re not going to be happy.”

  
The blue man sighed, deciding not to reveal his latest gift to the couple until he was ready to. Thor had made his way over to the babies and had picked up the blonde infant, sniffing. “They need to be changed,” the king said.

  
“Yup,” Loki replied shortly. “So get to it.”

  
Thor looked confused at the materials in the diaper bag that Loki had packed, pulling out wipes, baby powder, and the cloth diapers before setting the infant down beside them. Jane, seeing her husband’s lack of knowledge about diaper changing, picked up their son and talked her husband through the process, her calm, quiet voice helping to lull the babies back into their quiet mewling that Loki now associated with feeding time. His blue, clawed hands popped the improved nipples on the tops of the newly filled bottles and offered them to the parents.

  
“Try these,” he said yawning. “I’m going back to bed.”

  
“But...” Thor began. The Jotunn cocked a very tired eyebrow at his older sibling, before rolling away from the little family, his cheek resting on his arm to keep his horns from touching the pillow and causing pressure.

  
Behind him, he heard the mewling give way to contented suckling and he smiled. The new nipples worked. He sighed and closed his eyes, listening to the parents coo to their children and exclaim over their perfection. The last thing the Jotunn heard before he drifted off was a barely audible “Thank you,” from Jane.


	69. Chapter 69

The day after he had delivered the babies, he was released from the hospital floor and allowed to return to his rooms in the Asgardian suite, the babies were moved across the hallway to the light yellow nursery. The first thing the Jotunn did was take a long, relaxing bath in what he considered to be hot water, the liquid easing some of the residual ache that he was feeling in the lower half of his body. The water seemed to add strength to his jelly-like limbs, fortifying his legs and pelvis with it’s heat. He remained that way, his body almost entirely submerged , only his head above the water, his horns arching over the rim of the tub, until the heat had dissipated to a dull warmth, or, for everyone else, cool room temperature.

  
He wrapped his saggy body in a warm, fluffy towel, drying it while getting his ebony claws caught in the threads. He slowly disentangled his sad excuse for finger nails and reached for his robe, one hand pulling a brush through his long hair. “Blue,” a soft voice said from the door way. Loki froze before rapidly pulling the robe onto his shoulders and knotting it tightly, hiding his flabby abdomen from his child.

  
“Aiko,” he said quietly, smiling at his daughter as he opened his arms to her. She ran into them, squeezing his middle enthusiastically, reveling in an action that she had been unable to do it nearly four months. “I love you,” the Jotunn murmured into his daughter’s thick, dark hair, kissing the top of her head affectionately. “Thank you for your support of me in my time, my Child of Love, and for everything you have given me.”

  
“Why would I do anything else, Blue? I am the luckiest girl in the Nine because I have you for a father. I love you,” his daughter whispered back, turning her head up to his handsome, ridged face. “Now, please give me the brush. We both know that you’re utterly hopeless.” Her light giggle was met by his rich ‘ehehehe’ as he handed over the requested hair brush.

  
He wrapped his strong arm around his daughter’s slim shoulders and pulled her to their shared nest, still overflowing with pillows. The pair slid into the comfort, Aiko behind Loki, allowing her to run the comb through his thick, black locks. They didn’t speak, each just enjoying the other’s closeness and, eventually, the exhausted Jotunn fell asleep with a soft rumbling purr rising from his chest. Aiko finished her brushing and tied his hair back in a loose braid and snuggled next to his cool back, relaxing into his vibrating coolness and falling asleep.

  
After sleeping for longer than he had labored, Loki rose and instantly felt exceedingly full and very hungry. Aiko had left his side, most likely to continue her portraits of the Avengers, probably hours earlier. He raised a hand to his hair, feeling the soft, untangled silkiness that only his daughter was able to achieve.

  
A soft mewling reached his ears and he automatically made his way across the hall, enjoying his ability to walk instead of waddle, pushing open the door that was already slightly ajar. Thor was snoring in the arm chair, his limbs sprawled every which way while Jane was snoozing in the rocking chair, curled into a tiny ball. The Jotunn decided to take pity on his family, already loosening his robe and making his way to the cribs. “Shhh, little ones. Your...” He paused, not sure what his title would be with the babies. _Uncle? Bearer? Sort-of Mother? Provider of the food? That blue thing?_ “I’m here. No need to fret.”

  
He began to purr, the deep rumble, calming the newborns and stopping the mewling. Gently, he cradled his niece in the crook of his left arm and turned slowly, picking up his nephew with his right arm. His seidr played across his exposed chest and he offered the new, warm skin to the babies, who immediately drank hungrily as if they hadn’t eaten in days. Loki, honestly was not sure when they would have eaten last. He had prepared two extra bottles for each child, but that would honestly not have been enough to last them 18 hours. He stopped purring to say, “I’m sorry, so sorry. I can understand why you’re really going to town now. Take as much as you would like. You’re helping me out. These really ache, you have no idea. It makes me really appreciate what women - and Jotunn, endure. It’s crazy, you know. Nine months of crazy and then 16 hours of pain for two tiny, perfect lives. Two much-wanted children by two very deserving parents.”

  
He smiled, recalling the last year and a half, from the conception of his idea after the gift of his own perfect daughter, to his discussions with Frigga, Bruce, and Helblindi, his hours of careful research and how that had only prepared him for the bare minimum. He remembered Christmas and the dirty magazines, his final miserable heat, the insemination, his happy announcement, the disaster that became his name day, and the visit that he, Aiko, and Fandral had made to Jotunnheim. His captivity made him shudder, his tongue running over his free lips, causing him to quickly shift his thoughts to the ultimate announcement, and his stay with the Avengers and the rebuilding of the bridges that he had thought were burned and irreparable. All because of his brother, whom, for some reason that still evaded the Jotunn, felt overprotective love for his younger sibling, and his sister-in-law, who had become a wonderful friend despite their original dislike for one another.

  
The babies, their small stomachs full of his nutritious colostrum, released his nipples. He burped them and returned them to their cribs, leaving before his sibling and his wife even knew that he had been there. He smiled, only a hint of fang showing, as he looked back at the now drowsing occupants of the nursery.

  
Not wanting to sit around and still rather disappointed with his physical appearance, the Jotunn padded to the empty master bedroom and raided his brother’s dresser. He was able to find a pair of black shorts with a drawstring waist that would fit over his loin cloth, and a grey t-shirt with a wide collar that would fit over his horns. Returning to his rooms, he removed his robe and wrapped his slightly deflated bosom and pulled the t-shirt over his head, thankful that it did not get caught on his horns, and pulled the shorts on. Loki wound his way through the apartment, stopping to give his daughter a small peck on the cheek. “I’m going to the gym, my Child of Love.”

  
Aiko nodded, her focus still on the painting of Thor holding his children, his gaze looking at his sleeping bundles of joy. What the Jotunn was not expecting was the voice of the subject of the painting to enter the one-sided conversation.

  
“And what are you planning on doing at the gym, Brother? You gave _birth_ two days ago. You should be resting.” Loki could see the concern on his sibling’s face.

  
“I’m fine, Thor. I’m going to go running and then find someone to spar. I have been subject to _no_ physical activity besides swimming for the last few months. I need to do _something_ active.”

  
The other god huffed. “Fine. No sparring. I don’t want you to get injured.” Loki rolled his ruby eyes, knowing that his brother was being overprotective and nodded, agreeing to obey his king’s wishes. Not wanting to lose his brother’s permission to run on a treadmill, the Jotunn turned on his heel and headed towards the door and the elevator that lay beyond it.

  
When the metal box reached the open gym floor, Loki was unsurprised to find that it was busy. SHIELD agents and young Avenger recruits occupying the machines or stretching along the windows. A young woman was the first to spot him, screaming bloody murder before turning tail and sprinting to the opposite end of the floor. _Pride of SHIELD, that one_ , he thought sarcastically. The Jotunn raised his hands, revealing that he was unarmed to the rest of the general populace. “Sorry,” he muttered before heading towards the treadmills, his claws clicking along the tiled floor in the silence. He could feel the eyes on him, the mortals moving away from him, abandoning their machines so as not to be near him.

  
Feeling like the monstrous freak that he was, Loki continued to the furthest available running machine in the corner and started it up with a touch of his finger in an attempt to ignore the feeling of fifty pairs of eyes drilling into his body.

  
“Hey man! Fancy seeing you here.” Loki sharply turned his head from it’s view out the window, the view capturing blocks of the city that he had destroyed and his brother had rebuilt, to his immediate right. Clint Barton had taken the treadmill directly next to him, dressed in a purple t-shirt and black shorts with nondescript sneakers, an iPod in his hand with a single earbud in his ear. “Shouldn’t you be, like resting? Didn’t you just give birth, like yesterday?”

  
“Two days ago,” Loki replied, smiling. “I bounce back quickly. Do you not recall how many of you Avengers it took to take me down?”

  
“Um, yeah, man,” the archer replied, starting his machine. “ _One_. And boy did Banner do a number on you!”

  
Loki laughed, his horned head thrown back in ruckus delight. “Only after Stark’s suit knocked me out a window, Thor body-slammed me into the balcony, and you had blown me out of the sky with an explosive arrow. Also keep in mind that I had been tortured for over a year previous and had been living of a slice of stale bread and a cup of rusty water for most of that time. Compared to that, the recovery time for giving birth is relatively minimal, I’d say.”

  
“Well. Color me impressed,” Barton said, smiling. “Congratulations, by the way. I know they’re not yours but still, that’s an awesome thing you did for your brother.”

  
“Ah, the stupid things we do for love of family and love of country,” the Jotunn waxed. “You as well, now that it’s official. You’re going to have a beautiful, and exceedingly dangerous family. Please remind me to _never_ get on your bad side again.”

  
“Of course, man,” the mortal chuckled. “I’d say we’re square.” He paused, giving time for Loki to notice that the rest of the gym had regained the activity and noise levels that had been present when he had first stepped out of the elevator. Clint spoke again. “I just feel bad for Bruce, you know? The poor guy had to put up with you and now he’s on to Nat. All I’ve gotta say is that I hope no one else decides to get pregnant in four months or the Doc’s going to need a good shrink.”

  
Thinking of his own strange body and it’s even more peculiar needs, the Jotunn replied, “I think he already will.”

  
The two men ran along in a companionable silence, enjoying the other’s company and the sheer joy of the stretching and contracting of their muscles as their feet connected with the belts below them. Barton finished before Loki, prompting the god to turn towards his friend. “Please join us for dinner later, Clint. And bring Nat,” Loki offered, smiling so that his fangs flashed. “In fact, let everyone know that they are welcome to come and meet the newest members of the Aesir Royal family. I’m sure my brother will be thrilled with your company.”

  
“We’ll be there,” Clint replied, smirking. “Don’t wear yourself out, now, alright?”

  
The Jotunn just waved a hand in the direction of the other man and continued his steady pace, his eyes scanning the New York skyline.

  
The rest of the week fell into a routine with Loki sleeping nights (thankfully), waking and pumping, going to the gym and scaring the recruits, running for a few hours since he was forbidden to spar. Thor said that it was to protect him, but the Jotunn knew that it was to protect the SHIELD agents who, he was certain, had never faced a being quite like him before - lethal with multiple weapons and prone to throw in ‘tricks’ with his seidr. After returning from the gym, he would shower and then feed the babies personally, letting Thor and Jane nap, before spending a few hours studying to become the next All-Father. When the King of Asgard woke, he and his brother would sit, each feeding a baby, and discussed Asgard business until dinner. Dinners were held in the dining room with the Avengers coming nightly to coddle the newborns and admire their utter cuteness.

  
Not wanting to encroach on the hospitality of Avengers or of SHIELD, Loki insisted on recovering and returning home as quickly as possible. A week to the day exactly, the small royal family bid farewell to their friends among the Avengers and SHIELD, and called to Heimdall. Loki was particularly sad to leave Bruce behind, though not as sad as Asha who could not hide the tears that dripped from her eyes as the rainbow bridge brought them home. 


	70. Chapter 70

**Asgard**

  
“Welcome home, Your Majesties.” The greeting belonged to the deep rumbling voice of the Watcher, his golden eyes fixed, not on the stars, but on the tiny bundles carried by the royal couple. “Congratulations.”

  
Loki inhaled deeply, trying to hide the surge of pride that he felt. He had done it, performed the impossible task, and now he was home. He squeezed Aiko’s hand, and smiled down at her. The time on Midgard had been an interesting test of their relationship with his mood swings and her teen angst, but he felt that they had come out stronger because of it, never giving up on the other but learning to give each other space.

  
For not being with her friends and for being cooped up with a pregnant man most of the summer and into the beginning of the fall, his daughter was in particularly good spirits. Her artwork of the Avengers was going on display in the art gallery of the Tower at the end of October, giving her national and international exposure on Midgard. She was excited to think of the commissions it could bring. Loki was bursting with pride, honored that such a talented young woman had chosen him. The pair of them, along with Thor, would be at the opening. How he was going to pass unnoticed, he was not sure, but, with his seidr restored, he knew that he just had to find the right spell.

  
“Congratulations, my son, my daughter. Frigga has told me all about your newest additions. I see that she has greatly undershot their perfection.” Loki frowned, pulled from his thoughts by the sound of the All-Father’s voice as he greeted the king and queen of Asgard jovially. His ruby eyes followed the old man as he touched the infants on the brow, a spark of seidr blessing them with long lives, good health, and the promise of love and happiness. It was strange to see Odin smile, Loki thought. It had been years since he had seen that expression on the elderly god’s face, and, upon reflection, it had never been directed at him, the monster in Aesir clothing, but always for Thor, his golden child. His true heir to the throne of Asgard.

  
_If Thor is so perfect, why does Odin keep insisting on me taking the mantle of the All-Father? How can he think that I would accept it from him after his rejection of me for over a thousand years? Why do I keep letting him effect me so? I am my own man - Jotunn - am I not? Can I not accept this mantle to better the worlds through the best of my abilities and not because Odin commands it?_

  
Loki schooled his features, not wanting his disappointment and inner turmoil to show as the All-Father turned towards him and his daughter. He felt Aiko give his Clawed hand a squeeze before slipping her smaller, warmer hand from his grasp to respectfully and lovingly hug her grandfather in greeting.

  
“Aiko,” Odin said, one arm returning the hug as the other held tightly to Gungnir, “I thought that it might be impossible, but it is, in fact true. You have grown lovelier in our time apart - a true princess of Asgard if ever there was one.”

  
“Thank you, Grandfather,” the teenager replied shyly, a blush brushing her coffee colored cheeks. “You are too kind.” She gave him a peck on the cheek, just above his snowy beard, and released her hold before stepping back and turning towards the Warriors Three and Lady Sif, giving her father time alone with the other man.

  
Odin looked the Jotunn up and down, pausing over his nearly retracted but still flabby abdomen that was hidden under a baggy tunic. The intensity of the man’s scrutiny on his imperfect body caused the prince’s skin to crawl. No matter what self-esteem Loki built up in the absence of the All-Father, it instantly disappeared under the severe gaze of the man who now stood in front of him. The horned man bowed to the shorter man before him. “All-Father,” he stated respectfully, rising to meet the man’s single eye, the patch glinting in the golden light of the domed room.

  
The wizened man’s face was stern but his eye was soft. “You did well, Loki.” The sentence was brief but the meaning it carried to the young god carried the weight of lifetimes. He could sense the hidden pride in the statement, in the use of his name, in the chosen wording. The Jotunn could not help but give a small smile and a tiny incline of his horns.

  
“Thank you, All-Father.” The older man nodded once and walked away, no contact, nothing more than the exchange of three sentences.   
_________________________________________

  
The first thing Loki did when he returned to his rooms was pull all of his books regarding the All-Father: histories, journals, various accounts from the Court and Council of the Nine, and, lastly, the accounts of the interactions of other worlds with the All-Fathers of the past and present. He was certain that Odin would be drilling him over his bleeding steak dinner. _Welcome home_ , the Jotunn thought sarcastically.

  
“Loki? Will you be needing anything today?” The prince turned from his emptying bookshelves to find Asha standing in his doorway. He smiled, his fangs flashing.

  
“Why, yes, Asha! Have a seat.” He gestured to one of his many armchairs and followed her over, sitting opposite from her. “I want to thank you, Asha, for putting up with me and my utter ridiculousness for the last seven months. I know that it must have been incredibly difficult and it certainly must have been infuriating. I would have thrown me out a window by the end of June, maybe the beginning of July. Instead, you have been my support through everything.”

  
“What are you saying, My Lord?” The woman’s brown furrowed with her conclusion. “It was all a pleasure and you were not as awful as you think you were. I am just glad that you and the babies are healthy and back home.”

  
Loki just shook his heard as he smiled crookedly. “You, Asha, are too kind to the monster in front of you.” He chuckled, “Regardless, your constant vigilance should not be left unrewarded. Which is why I am giving you a very important task.” He waved his hand to produce two pieces of rectangular paper. “You are going to pack your things, take Bifrost to Midgard, find our good Doctor Banner within the Tower of the Avengers, and you are going to an airport to take a vacation at any location you chose for three weeks. Just be sure to be back in time of Aiko’s art gallery opening in New York. I know that this is asking a lot of you, but I think you are up to the task.”

  
The small woman’s face was brighter than any sun, her jaw dropped but beaming simultaneously. Her eyes were a light with so many emotions that Loki could not follow her train of thought. He grinned back at her, glad that he could give back, even a little, to the kind healer from Vanaheim. After putting up with him for longer than anyone really should, both she and the doctor deserved to have time to themselves, delving further into their budding relationship.

  
The woman slowly stood, her hands framing her shocked face. Loki rose a well, following her movements, a bit of worry playing at the corners of his smile. Suddenly, he was hit with such force, a small woman embracing him with an enormous amount of fervor, her thin but strong arms wrapped around his imperfect middle, her face buried into his bosom. “Thank you, thank you, My Lord!” She was gasping, shrieking, shouting a song of thanks to him, an inexplicable anomaly, a monster of Jotunnheim in body, an Aesir in soul.

  
“It’s nothing that you don’t deserve,” Loki said, returning the hug, though with a bit less enthusiasm. “I just wish I could give you more, Asha. You deserve more than a three week vacation, but, at this point in time, I do not have the power to give you everything you have certainly earned...”

  
The woman turned her small face up to meet his broad one and cut him off. “Stop, Loki. It is perfect and way to kind of you.”

  
“Well then, you had best get going, Milady Asha. I believe that you and Doctor Banner have a plane to catch.”  
_____________________________________

  
“We have much to discuss now that you have returned.” The statement made Loki set his utensils down with a solid chink. He had only eaten half of his oozing venison steak and had not touched his potato or carrots and yet, but his appetite was now gone, dissipated with the sound of the All-Father’s voice. He could hear other sets of silverware being set down along the table but he did not raise his ruby eyes from his plate.

  
Odin, seated at the head of the table, Thor seated on his right, Loki on his left, continued on his trajectory. “Now that my family is assembled, I believe that we have a few matters to discuss. Thor, my son, my first-born, is King of Asgard. It is his birth rite to rule from the throne of Asgard. It was decided at the moment of his birth.”

  
The older god paused, sending his intense gaze along the table. Loki still did not look up from his plate as he watched the blood from the deer mingle with the root vegetables, soaking into the potatoes to create a strange, red and orange tie-dye. He wanted to sink into the floor, the pressure of this conversation and the implications of the results would change his life as he knew it and the life of the Nine.

  
“But what of the title of All-Father, Father?” Thor asked defensively. “Is that not my burden to bear as well?”

  
Odin sighed. “Well, my son. That is not the case.”

  
“What?” The Jotunn was taken aback by the lack of anger in his brother’s voice. He had expected the King of Asgard to be willing to fight for the other half of his title. He wasn’t sure if that meant that Thor would be supportive of the forced inheritance of the position by a Jotunn, even if that Jotunn was his younger brother.

  
“The All-Father not only is the final judge of all matters in the Nine, he must also be able to wield great power to defend it. Thor, you cannot succeed me as All-Father because-”

  
“Because I do not have powerful seidr,” Thor muttered, his eyes falling across the table to the Jotunn who seemed to be consumed by the oozing cut of venison on his golden plate. “But Loki does.”

  
“Yes, Loki does. That is why I took him from Jotunnheim all those years ago. After all, what was another dead Jotunn to me? The victor of a brutal war would not be moved by the sight of a tiny child.”

  
“Unless that child could offer you something...” Loki muttered. His voice turned dark, a sharp violence penetrating it as he crescendoed, “That’s all I’ve _ever_ been to you - the means to an end. A monster taken from necessity because your own _perfect_ child wasn’t so perfect after all.”

  
The babies, sleeping comfortably in their bassinets until that point, woke shrieking like banshees, frightened by the volume at which their bearer was speaking. Jane immediately jumped up from the table and began comforting her bawling progeny. Thor shot Loki a dark look, and went to join his wife. He picked up his blonde-haired daughter, cuddling her to his broad chest with one hand, while the other helped Jane stand and she rocked her black-haired son. She gave Loki a terrified look before turning her back to him, ‘shhh’-ing her child.

  
“Blue.” A soft, warm hand landed on his left arm Claws. It calmed him almost instantly. His daughter, the port in his storm-tossed life, reeled in his broiling anger. It was the past and he needed to look towards the future.

  
“I...apologize. There was not need for that outburst. What’s done is done.” He cleared his throat and refocused on his plate, feeling shamed for waking the still crying newborns and for letting Odin get under his rough, lined skin.

  
Odin’s blue eye fixed itself on the man seated on his left. “You have much to learn before you are worthy of the title,” he said levelly, the weight of his words making the Jotunn’s shoulders sag. The elderly god removed his heavy gaze from the other man and continued, “Loki will inherit the weight of the title, but, to his credit, he refuses the title itself. Frigga and I have decided that the Jotunn sorcerer will gain my power, but Thor will gain my title. Only the leaders of the Nine will be aware that my son does not contain the power of the All-Father. The general populace will continue to think that the All-Father is my own blood, as it would have been. Is that understood?”

  
The silence that filled the room was only ended with the soft whimpering of the infants. Automatically, subconsciously, Loki pulled his tunic over his head as he pushed back from the table. He unwrapped his breasts, heavy and leaking, and shifted them to the pale, dark nippled Aesir form that the infants could drink from. “Jane,” he whispered, holding an arm out to the Queen of Asgard. “I’m sorry. Please...”

  
The small woman turned around and saw her brother-in-law’s contrite face and prepared bosom. She gave him a small smile and gave him the heir slowly. “Thank you,” she whispered. Thor rolled his eyes, not so quick to forgive, but unable to feed his daughter himself, grudgingly handed her over to the blue man.

  
Loki settled back down into his seat, a babe in each arm. “I appreciate your discretion and the separation of task and title. Is this alright with you, Thor?”

  
The god in question nodded once. His younger sibling continued, “Is there anything else, All-Father?”

  
“Yes, there is. While Thor and, through their marriage, Jane, will inherit the titles of All-Father and All-Mother, and Loki will inherit the the responsibilities. That leaves the matter of the inheritance of the duties of All-Mother in play.”

  
The Jotunn’s head snapped up from his charges. “What do you mean?”

  
Odin leveled his single, piercing eye at the Jotunn, his disgust barely disguised on his face. “What I mean, Loki, is that Jane cannot inherit more than Frigga’s title any more than Thor can inherit more than my title. She was born mortal. She has no hint of seidr and thus cannot wield the power of the All-Mother.”

  
“No.” Loki’s ruby eyes were firm, meeting Odin’s gaze for the first time since the meal had started. “I understand what you are saying, All-Father, but the answer is a very firm **no**.”

  
“You have no choice in the matter,” Odin shot back firmly.

  
The young god muttered darkly, “That appears to be something that is consistent with the rest of my life. However...I still refuse and I think that my wish should be honored.”

  
“I’m terribly sorry,” Aiko chimed in, “But I am not quite following the thread of the conversation.”

  
Her father, his pale breasts providing sustenance for the children that he had birthed a week previous, turned to look at his daughter, a look of shame and a hint of self-loathing scrawled across his ridged face. He closed his ruby orbs and sighed, “Odin All-Father is stating that I must marry.”


	71. Chapter 71

“Come on, Fandral!” Loki called across the rusty dirt of the practice arena, “You’re making this too easy for me!”

  
The blonde playboy slowly got to his feet, a shallow cut across his brow causing blood to drip into his eyes. Gasping for breath, his sweat-coasted chest heaving with effort, the dashing god huffed, “You win, Loki. I cannot beat you, not now. You’re just too good.”

  
The Jotunn, not even breathing heavily with only a hint of frost on his brow, drove his spear, the same height and heft of Gungnir, into the packed clay. Briskly, he padded over the expanse, dust kicking up in his quake, and offered his blue, clawed hand to the other man. “Well fought, Fandral.”

  
He pulled the other god to his feet and set his free hand to the cut on the blonde god’s brow. “May I?”

  
Fandral nodded and Loki continued as his seidr healed the gash. “Thank you for sparring with me. It’s been so long. It felt wonderful to stretch those muscles again, especially now that I am able - all the parts back where they belong.” He ran his free hand vainly over his now flat abdomen. He was not quite back to his toned physique, but he was no longer flabby. Only his breasts remained of the last nine months, a reminder of the service that he was still providing his brother and his children. “All better,” he muttered softly, removing his cool hand. “No trace of scarring, just the way you like it.” He smiled at the blonde man.

  
“No, Loki. Thank you. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to spar a sorcerer. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to bathe. I haven’t felt this grimy in decades.” The gallant man headed for the barracks and the nearest source of a shower.

  
Loki watched him go, smiling broadly. It felt good to spar again. He hadn’t done so for over twenty years, since his imprisonment, and he was amazed by his retained knowledge and muscle memory.

  
“Would you like a _real_ challenge, Brother?” The Jotunn’s smile turned into a crooked smirk.

  
“I’m not too _fragile_? After all, I just birthed your twins two and a half weeks ago.” He turned to see his older sibling standing with his arms crossed, biceps larger than his head and easily able to break a smaller man in half with just his hands.

  
“Are you making excuses? Because you know that you will lose.” Thor was also smirking, Mjölnir twirling in his hands. Loki’s eyebrows raised.

  
“Don’t be so sure about that, Brother.” The Jotunn opened his hands, his right sparkling with his glacial blue seidr as it was coated with a thick ice blade. The wooden shaft of the spear he had abandoned earlier returning to his left hand with a solid thunk. He assumed a defensive stance, his blade poised over his horizontal spear. “Shall we?”

  
Thor’s eyes went wide for a split second and the twirling of the mighty war hammer stilled. The moment of hesitancy passed, the God of Thunder called the storm, lightning rushing to meet his upraised hammer.

  
Prepared for his brother’s opening move, the Jotunn ducked and rolled as the lightning shot over his head. He swung his spear, knocking his larger sibling to the ground as he spun to his feet, his ice blade swinging down towards the god below him. Thor, rolled out of the way in the nick of time, causing the blade to shatter as it came in contact with the hard, compact clay. Using the force of his downward thrust, the Jotunn called forth the water in the ground. He pulled it up in a swirl of dust, the large chunks of ice exploding into the air and causing Thor, mid-swing to back up, his balance lost. Mjölnir, released from the grasp of her wielder, connected solidly with the younger god’s stomach. Loki roared as his horns connected solidly with the clay. His brother was on him, lifting his thinner, lighter body easily above his head by one horn and one leg.

  
“THOR! IF YOU BREAK MY HORN, I WILL KILL YOU!” The Frost Giant screamed with abandon, allowing the Withering Touch to spread over his limbs.

  
“Gah!” Thor promptly dropped his sibling, who rolled away, picking up his spear again, hefting it and forcing it under his brother’s chin.

  
“Yield.” He kept his voice even and level, though, internally, he was overjoyed for finally beating the God of Thunder.

  
“No.” Thor said evenly, his eyes following the trajectory of his war hammer as she came back to him, passing straight through the blue man in front of him. “Wah?” 

A cold blade pressed into his back and another was forced under his bearded chin. “When are you not going to fall for that?” His younger brother chuckled into his ear. Thor dropped Mjölnir, yielding.

  
“You’ve changed, Loki.”

  
“You have not, Brother. You’re still stating the obvious.” The Jotunn withdrew his ice blades. “Thank you for sparring with me. Just like when we were boys, right Thor.”

  
“No, it’s not.” The God of Thunder slowly turned and looked his sibling up and down, both of their chests rising and falling with their efforts. “You’ve never beaten me before. The old Loki was not the man I just fought.”

  
“The old Loki did not know that he was only using half of his talents.” Loki’s smile fell, worried that Thor was about to reject him. “You did not expect me to not use my Jotunn nature, did you my King?”

  
To his astonishment, the older god did not reject him. Instead, he offered his vambraced right arm. Loki’s brow furrowed and then he enthusiastically clasped the proffered forearm with his own. “You have become a true warrior, Brother. Do not let anyone tell you any different.”

  
“Thank you, Brother,” Loki smiled, bowing his head in what would have been an Aesir blush. “I am also a healer, so let me heal the hurts I have caused you.”  
________________________________

  
Loki sat in the council meeting wishing for the life of him that he was anywhere else. The Aesir Council, also known as Idunn, Eir, Sif, and the Warriors Three, was gathered by the All-Father to address a single issue: the new All-Father and his responsibilities. The Jotunn was surprised that the general response from the members of the council, all high-ranking members of Aesir society, was enthusiastic in response to Odin and Frigga’s plan that the Jotunn would inherit the responsibilities while the title would remain much safer with Thor. Oh, no. This meeting was to discuss Loki’s need to find a wife, or in Jotunn terminology, a life-mate.

  
Except that the woman that the council selected would most certainly not be his life-mate. No, the poor woman and himself, would be forced into a loveless marriage, and probably a relationship without any emotion whatsoever. The Jotunn remained steadfast in his adamant belief that he could rule the Nine without an All-Mother and that he should not be forced to take a woman that he did not want into his home, and, ultimately, into his bed. He knew that in order for any marriage pact or life-mate situation, he would have to consummate the relationship. With a woman. Whom he did not want. And, she, most certainly, would not want him. Not only because he was Jotunn, but because he was intersex, had birthed twins nearly three weeks ago, and happened to currently have breasts. Oh, and he was a mass murderer on Midgard and a man who had enacted genocide on his own home world.

  
“What about the Lady Amora?” Idunn chimed in, throwing her distant cousin’s name into the ring along with those of other Aesir women who had even the smallest amount of seidr. Loki thought it was insulting that they would be considered worthy of spending the rest of their lives tied to his because, no matter their current station, marrying a creature would be a massive step down in society. Of course, he had never met any of these women, so he should at least meet them, or at least that’s the point that Thor kept driving home.

  
“What about Jane’s friend, Lady Darcy Lewis?” Thor said. The counselors went silent.

  
“No. Absolutely not. She is _mortal_ ,” Eir, the chief healer said. “She has no seidr, just like Queen Jane. She’s also middle age. Would you saddle your brother with a much older woman?”

  
“Well, technically I am over a thousand years older than her,” Loki muttered, not at all interested in Darcy but trying to defend his sister-in-law’s best friend. “But Lady Eir, you have a point. Darcy Lewis does not contain a shred of magic within her body.”

  
“Well, why are we keeping this within the borders of Asgard?” the King asked. “If the future All-Father is Jotunn, why does the future All-Mother only being chosen from Aesir candidates? Are there no sorceresses on Alfheim? Jotunnheim? Vanaheim? Niflheim? In all fairness, what if my brother does not care for an Aesir woman? What if he wants something else?”

  
“I’m sitting right here, Thor,” Loki muttered. “And to be honest, I don’t want anyone, Aesir or otherwise. I will _not_ be forced into an arranged marriage because that is what Odin wishes. I am _tired_ of the All-Father running every aspect my life. Can I make my own decisions for once?”

  
“You _have_ made your own decisions!” Sif practically yelled back at the blue man. “ _You_ attacked Thor on Midgard. _You_ tried to destroy Jotunnheim. _You_ tried to rule Midgard. _You_ got _yourself_ pregnant. Odin did not make any of those decisions - _you did_ , so stop blaming everything on the All-Father. _You_ need to own up to _your_ mistakes!”

  
Loki rose, his chair falling in his anger and haste, and slammed his blue fists on the table, his ruby eyes flashing dangerously. “ _You_ forget, Sif, that they were not entirely my decisions at the time they were made - except for the pregnancy, but that is beside the point. I have paid for those crimes. I am _still_ paying for those crimes. _LOOK AT ME!_ Do you think that I don’t regret my actions against Jotunnheim and Midgard - that they don’t haunt me every day? My actions against Thor on Midgard restored his powers, did it not? My actions on Jotunnheim brought my brother, a wise and just ruler, to the throne and establishing peace between our warring nations. I was tortured _for a YEAR_ by Thanos and the Other to encourage my actions on Midgard. I did what I needed to to _SURVIVE_ while minimizing casualties to the best of my ability. But _you_ wouldn’t care about that, would you, Sif? You have always loathed me, despised my presence - the tag-along spare heir that kept Thor distracted from your pitiful advances. And now I am a hideous _beast_ , a _monster_ that finally has the appearance that you have been expecting me to have for years. Because no _Aesir_ would be capable of doing what I have done. Is that right, Sif? You see me and all you can picture is my head on a pike over the gates of the citadel. I _apologize_ , Sif, for being the black spot in your life, for tempting you with my ugly, grotesque form. But I will _not_ apologize for trying to be my own man.”

  
“Loki.” Thor’s voice was soft and soothing. “You do not need to defend yourself. You have been through a lot in the last quarter of a century. Sif, however, has a point. You have made decisions that were not choices Odin would have made. I am not saying that he is right to force you into a loveless marriage, but, as you have just reiterated: You are the second son and would have been married for political reasons anyway.”

  
“Thor,” the Jotunn said calmly. “Look at me.” The blonde god’s eyes met his ruby pair.

  
“I see you, Brother. I have _always_ seen you,” the King of Asgard replied quietly.

  
“Answer me honestly then Brother: Would you lie with me?” Loki’s face was sincere. The table was silent, gazes floating between the two brothers. The handsome blonde god seemed torn, shocked and a bit frightened. The horned man had an incredibly serious look on his face, but his blood red eyes were nervous and worried.

  
“Loki...I...I, uh, I will always love you, Brother, but just as that. My _little brother_. I’m married to Jane. I...I _love_ her. More than life.”

  
“My point exactly. You, Thor, are the only person in this room who would claim to care for me beyond casual friendship. No offense to you, Fandral or Volstagg. I appreciate your friendship so very much.”

 

Fandral shrugged passively. “None taken.”

  
The Jotunn continued, “You, Thor, know me the best. You also know about my body, my...sexuality. If you would not lie with me, why would a complete stranger? _I have **breasts** , Thor. They’re going to be here for a while. And even after they shrink and fade: What about the **other** **parts** , Thor? Only a Jotunn would have me, but wait - I’m a **horned runt**. A Frost Giant, if he would take a **barbarian** like me, would **break** me_. And so, I am selfishly keeping myself from feeling like more of a _freak_ than I already am.”

  
“I never thought about that.” The king’s voice was barely audible. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

  
Loki just nodded, his horns barely bobbing. “Thank you.” He inhaled slowly through his nose, his nostrils flaring ever so slightly. “That being said, shall we continue? I’m sure that Odin would like a list of candidates by this evening.”


	72. Chapter 72

“We will have them come for a private audience with the royal family. At the beginning of the month. Loki will have completed the ritual and taken the mantle of All-Father by then. A week should suffice.”

  
That had been six days ago. Those six days were filled with Loki locking himself in his chambers, consumed by his need to learn everything about everything. He did not want the task appointed him, but he would perform it to the best of his ability. Only four people saw him during those times: Jane, always bringing the babies once or twice daily to get their fill from the source instead of the bottle, and Aiko. He knew when it was evening when his daughter arrived. She tried to convince him to go to bed, with no success. There was just too much to learn and too little time to learn it.

  
It was an hour before he was to undergo the ritual of becoming All-Father of the Nine and, in spite of his lack of any sleep from the last six days, he felt wired. Wide awake. A soft knock sounded through his sitting room. “Come in,” the Jotunn called, unsurprised to find Jane and two mewling month old babies.

  
“Hello Loki. How are you feeling? Nervous?” Jane smiled at her brother-in-law, watching him unwrap and shift his bosom. She offered first one babe, then the other.

  
“I’m feeling much better now that I have these two angels in my arms,” he murmured. He reveled in the precious packages in his arms. Daryn’s blonde hair was growing out, gaining a slight wave and curly texture. Her blue eyes sparkled up at his face, and Loki was comforted in the lack of judgement he found there. She had grown two inches in length and gained nearly two pounds off of the nourishment that he provided her. Torsten had also put on weight, over two pounds, and had grown another inch. His green eyes, so like Loki’s own, were greedy, but grateful as he focused on his source of food. The Jotunn smiled, and closed his eyes, at peace.

  
“Blue?” Aiko came bounding into the room. “Grandfather wants you in the throne room.” She spotted the nursing infants and whispered, “Oh. Sorry. Odin can wait until they’re done.”

  
“Which they nearly are,” Loki sighed, feeling his breasts soften and sag as the milk he had worked so hard to produce was sucked from his body.

  
Nearly simultaneously, the babies released their latches and yawned, their tiny mouths opening wide, showing their gums and pink tongues. Jane took Torsten back, gently patting his back and murmuring in his ear while Loki did the same with Daryn.

  
When the air in their full stomachs had been expelled and both bundles of joy were swaddled into Jane’s sling, Loki magicked his Aesir armor onto his body, not wanting to keep the All-Father waiting. He strode purposefully down the golden and marble halls of Asgard, Aiko grasping his right hand firmly while Jane hung off his left arm. He felt his nervousness return, despite the strength that he gained from the two women beside him.

  
The massive doors of the grand hall swung open to admit the five figures. Loki missed the sound of his sable claws clicking against the marble. The sound of his boots thudding and echoing around the hall was foreign to his ears. It made him feel like an alien in his own body, in his own home. He was drawn back in to reality with a soft, warm squeeze of his hand from Aiko. He smiled at her. “Thank you, my Child of Love,” he murmured.

  
“I have faith in you, Dad. You can do anything. Seriously.” She beamed up at him as if he were the sun and the moon rolled into one.

  
Jane pulled at his arm. “Loki, we have to leave you now. You have to continue on your own. You can do it, Loki. I know you can.” Careful of the snoozing babies strapped securely to her chest, she hugged her brother-in-law encouragingly.

  
Aiko also drew him into her warm embrace, her arms squeezing his abdomen tightly. He returned the gesture, kissing her hair. “I love you,” he whispered.

  
“I love you too, Blue. I’ll be waiting for you when all this is over. I promise,” she beamed up at him before kissing his Bergelmir’s Tears. She let him go, her eyes shining with hope and the Jotunn turned away, walking the rest of the way alone.

  
The throne was occupied when he finally reached the far end of the grand hall. Odin sat, rigid and commanding, while Thor stood on his right, his ceremonial helm covering his head. Loki bowed low, displaying his reverence for the two men before him: the man that was his father, and his King. “Odin, All-Father. Thor, my King. I come before you today to assume the burden of All-Father, Protector and Defender of the Nine Realms from Odin Borson. I come under my own freewill and accept this task with my whole heart, my whole soul, my whole being. I will strive to fulfill this duty until I find one who is worthy to lift this yoke of servitude from my shoulders. This I so swear, before you, my Liege Lords, and the Norns who see and witness all.”

  
Slowly, Odin rose. The older god leaned heavily on Gungnir, his burden weighing heavily on his frail shoulders. “Loki Laufeyson. You are the most powerful sorcerer of your generation, your technical skills and ability to wield two different kinds of seidr, make you an ideal candidate. To come into your title, you must first complete a task. This task will require great bravery, strength, and forethought. Do you accept this challenge?”

 

Loki squared his shoulders and lifted his horned head high. “I do, Odin All-Father.”

  
“Good luck be with you, Loki,” Thor whispered as Odin swiped his arm through the air, his seidr creating a new location, the task at hand.

  
_Loki opened his ruby eyes to find himself looking out on a very familiar sight. Jotunnheim’s vast wasteland lay before him. Unlike the one time he had seen the icy expanse of wind-swept, snow covered glaciers and plains, it was littered with bodies and blood, navy mingled with scarlet: Jotunn and Aesir. The massacre that lay before him caused the breath in his lungs to freeze. This was horrendous and heinous._

  
_He began to walk, searching among the bodies for any signs of life. The first sign of life came from an Aesir warrior, his arm black with the Withering Touch. Holding his hands out in a sign of peace, the Jotunn knelt beside the dying warrior, his ruby gaze tracing the path of the deadly frost bite as it drew closer to his heart. Quietly, he addressed the man before him. “Please, hold still. I am going to help you, stop and reverse the Withering Touch.”_

  
_The Aesir’s eyes were wide, terrified. “You-you’re here to kill me!” he practically screamed._

  
_“No, no,” Loki murmured comfortingly. “Let me help you and I promise that you will survive. If you do not. I promise you, you will die within the hour.” The man, snow caught in his golden hair and beard stared at him for a while until he gave the tiniest nod of his head. The Jotunn laid his hands on the man’s black arm, pulling the poison from his blood._

  
_When he was done and the man had begun to stumble off to the Aesir camp, he stood and moved on to the next, a Jotunn who had lost an arm. He staunched the bleeding but was unable to restore the limb. Still grateful, the Jotunn blessed him and headed in the opposite direction of the Aesir warrior._

  
_Loki continued to wind his way through the battlefield-turned-graveyard, healing the hurts that he could and helping the Valkyrie spirit the valiant onto the next life in Valhalla. The sunset met the exhausted Jotunn, his seidr nearly spent, with a field of dead bodies, the wounded returned to their perspective sides, their hurts healed to the best of his solitary ability. The young god knew that he was not done. He had to stop this slaughter, the needless waste of lives on both sides of battlefield._

  
_Slowly, stumbling a bit with the exhaustion that saturated his limbs, the Prince of Asgard returned to the center of wasteland. “I am Loki, of Asgard and Jotunnheim! I call the leaders of the Jotunn and the Aesir for a peaceful delegation and an end to this needless hostility!”_

  
The sunset entered his eyes as he fell to his knees, more tired than he even thought was possible. The 16 hour labor he had endure the previous month seemed like nothing in comparison to what he had just endured. His breathing was ragged with fatigue and emotion, hot tears running down his icy face, freezing on contact.

  
“Well done, Loki Laufeyson, you have passed the final test.” The Jotunn raised his horned head to meet the face of the All-Father. For once in his life, Loki could see a look of pride in the older god’s eye. Thor was at his side, helping him to stand and aiding him as he staggered up the steps to the throne.

  
Odin offered Gungnir to the Frost Giant before him with great ceremony. Hesitantly, Loki grabbed a hold of the golden staff. An amazing, electric jolt of seemingly pure energy flooded his body, making him stagger. His mind was opened, filling with memories that were not his own, the knowledge simply overwhelming him. The intensity of the emotions that course through his veins caused him to weep anew, his lungs expelling all their contents with a violent and heart-wrenching roar. The power assaulted him, assailing him from all sides and he was powerless to fight it, giving in to the waves of seidr that attempted to drown him.

  
As suddenly and shockingly as it started, the assault ended. Loki found himself on his knees, Gungnir clasped in his blue, ridge hands, humming in recognition of his ownership, his power over it, his right to control it and the power it contained. That same power, made of such intense seidr, magic unlike any that he had ever experienced, now resided within him, mixed perfectly with his emerald and blue force, a golden glow. His mind was a jumble, sorting and filing millennia of information and experiences from the beginning of the worlds rapidly and effectively for later use and reference. He saw Odin on Jotunnheim, drawn to a tiny, silent blue babe in the snow-filled temple, left as an offering to the gods of winter. He saw how one touch changed the newborn, barely hours old from the ridged, azure princeling to the dark haired, green eyed Aesir, and he gasped, feeling the raw emotion that tore through the man that had been his father. Love. Odin, for all his rejection, had indeed loved him in those first moments, amazed by his willingness to please, the power of his seidr present at such a young age.

  
He gasped through the emotion that rocked his body and the tears of inexplicable joy and utter devastation that trailed down his cheeks. “All-Father,” he breathed as his voice shook, shifting his gaze from the spear to the man who stood before him.

  
Odin, already old by Aesir standards, looked ancient, the seidr that had lived within him for thousands of years, gone, passed to another. His own natural seidr remained, but the vigor that the burden of his position lent him was gone. While he was weaker, he also appeared to be stronger, the weight of the Nine no longer resting on his shoulders. His single eye was weary but bright, and, with Thor’s help, he knelt in front of the Jotunn, causing the man to hiccup and gasp through his sobs. The white-haired man whispered reverently, “All-Father, can you forgive me for the harm I have caused you from my own prejudice? For seeing you only as a means to an end? I was wrong, I can see that now I am no longer blinded by duty. I know the memory you found, the emotion you felt. Please know that it was true.”

  
Loki was frozen, shocked by the revelation brought to him by the other man. His mind tried to wrap itself around what he had just heard and experience, the man’s monologue replaying in his thoughts along with that memory of the babe in the snows. “Odin...F-father...I forgive you,” he whispered, laying a hand on the side of the elderly Aesir’s wrinkled face. He was swept into an embrace that shocked him, the white-haired man not just tolerating contact with him and his monstrous form, but holding him close as if he were a small child. The other man’s hot tears burned as they met his icy skin, but the Jotunn did not pull away. He held the smaller god, trying to offer comfort as the other man spoke.

  
“My son...my son...I am so proud of you...so proud. I was so stupid, so blinded by my own dark past to see you for who you truly are: a great man, Loki. A better All-Father than I ever was. A Jotunn with an Aesir heart and soul driven by the forces of chaos to change the worlds for good. And I was so blind, so ignorant, my son. My Loki.”

  
And for the second time in the Jotunn’s life, he felt the love of a father.


	73. Chapter 73

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Panic Attack

**New York City - Avenger’s Tower**

  
The gallery would be filled with people soon, mortal people. People who had never seen a Jotunn. People who would be terrified. Loki crossed his arms over his chest self-consciously, the breast band rubbing his Claws and Rings. He couldn’t do this. The thought of the general populace of Midgard walking into the opening of his daughter’s exhibit, seeing him in his blue glory, screaming, and running out without a single look at the beautiful paintings kept playing through his mind.

  
Aiko, ever the perceptive child, hugged him with one of her arms. She looked absolutely stunning, as usual. Her hair was braided in the hairstyle they shared, it’s dark color contrasting with her ice blue dress. It was of Midgard style, short and above the knee, but, much to his relief, decent. It was fitted well, but empire waisted, allowing the fabric to flow over the lower part of her body. Again, he was reminded by how lucky he truly was to have this amazing and talented woman in his life. His child. It was something that he had only dreamed of in his imprisonment.

  
Bending down and kissing her cheek, Loki whispered, “I’ll be right back, my Darling.” She smiled in response, probably thinking that he needed to go pump, and wandered over to Natasha who was simply glowing with the promise she bore within her.

  
The Jotunn hurried to the elevator and climbed inside, pushing the button for the Aesir floor and pulling back his awareness from the outside world, delving into the knowledge he had obtained the day before during the ritual. There had to be some sort of spell, some sort of glamor that could mask his true form for a few hours. There had to have been someone, some All-Father of the past, who’d needed to hide himself in plain sight. His ruby eyes scanned the elevator doors, not actually seeing what was in front of him but instead seeing the pasts of the men who came before him, laid out in neat files.

  
Odin was no help, but his file was rather large. Loki made a mental note to return to it when he had a spare moment, interested to learn about the man’s life from the man himself. Bor, on the other hand, happened to have exactly what the young god was looking for. Bor had had a brief affair with a Jotunn, a Frost Giant named Bestla, which had resulted in Bor’s only child - Odin. Of course, Bestla, a full grown Jotunn could not have participated in sexual intercourse with someone half his size. Bor, combined with Bestla’s Jotunn seidr, was able to transfigure the larger, colder being into an Aesir woman for the months of their relationship and the ultimate birth of the man that Loki had called Father.

  
The elevator doors dinged open and Loki wound his way down the short hallway and into the apartment that he knew so well and locked himself into his bathroom. He gripped the marble countertop, careful not to scratch the stone with his ebony claws and chanted the spell under his breath, closing his ruby eyes and feeling the push and pull of his newly acquired golden seidr in combination with his emerald and blue magics.

  
The first sensation he felt was loss. He could no longer sense the currents on the air, hear the smallest noise, taste the last meal he had had hours ago on his tongue. The second sensation was cold. His practically nude body shivered in the cranked up AC. The third was pain. It was caused by a strange pulling sensation that localized in his finger tips, his toes tips, the length of his hooked, big toe, his gums, and lastly and most substantially, his forehead. It was as if those features were being retracted into his body like cat claws. He could actually feel his toes straighten, a weird sensation, to feel the ground beneath something that hadn’t touched the earth in decades. His teeth seemed to be pulled down into his gums, still present but hiding just beneath the surface. The horns were the worst, each ring catching on the bone of his cranium until the dull point was pulled through. It left his head aching, a muted throbbing along his temple, but it would be bearable for a few hours.

  
Slowly and hesitantly, Loki opened his eyes. They instantly connected with a pair of emeralds set into a pale face. His Aesir face. Not the woman he had seen months ago, but the fallen prince before his punishment. He reached a pale hand up and touched the smooth, unlined skin with his soft hands, amazed at what he was seeing feeling, experiencing. His gaze flicked downward, drinking in the rest of the pale expanse. He still had his breasts, bound tightly and flattened against his upper torso, and, though he made no move to check, he was sure that his strange genitalia also remained. There was not a trace of hair on his body except for his eyebrows and the black braid that ran down his back. The spell only covered his Jotunn body, unable to change everything about his appearance, but sufficiently making him appear Aesir.

  
Chilled for the first time in years, he made his way from the bathroom and into his bedroom. His closet held one item of Midgardian clothing: a suit. Smiling, he pulled it on, covering his body and warming it, the cloth not irritating his skin like it normally did with the ridges present. He noticed, as he moved, that his skin felt tight, stretched and uncomfortable, which, in combination with the headache, made him miss his true form. This spell was, after all, an imperfect covering, a fabrication that he could slip on like a full body suit but really had no desire to live in it for any significant length of time. Of course it would not be the most comfortable. Still, he would not attract unwanted attention this way, and the people of Midgard could actually view his daughter’s work without feeling threatened by the obvious alien in their midst.

  
Or so he thought until he reentered the art gallery and was greeted by Tony Stark’s scream. The Man of Iron retreated to the furthest corner of the room and fell into a quivering ball of nerves, shaking and crying.

  
“Brother?” Thor asked quietly, staring at the man who had just exited the elevator as if he was seeing a ghost. Aiko stood with her mouth agape. The rest of the Avengers didn’t move, their faces frightened. The Jotunn began to feel like this might not have been a great idea.

  
“Yes,” he said quietly, his voice still very much the rough Jotunn voice he had possessed for over twenty years. “I-I did not want anyone to be frighted of my appearance. I apologize - I was wrong. I’ll just go...” He hung his head and turned towards the elevator.

  
“Blue?” A small hand fell on his suit sleeve.

  
“Yes, Aiko. It is me.” He murmured, but did not turn around. He could still hear Stark hyperventilating in the corner. The hand turned into two and he followed the pull, his child angling him so that she could see his face.

  
“It’s just like the painting.” The teenager raised her hand and hesitated over his cheek. He gave a small nod, giving her permission to touch the foreign skin. Her hand, usually so warm to his touch, was neutral. She smiled up at him, her thumb tracing his cheek bone underneath his green eye. “We’re the same temperature.”

 

“Yes. It’s an illusion. A skin that I’ve slipped on. Nothing more.”

  
“If that is all it is, stay. I want my father here.” Her earnest eyes made him smile sadly.

  
“I cannot do that to Stark and our friends, the Avengers. This form caused them so much hurt, so much pain. In my attempts to blend in, I forgot to take that into consideration.”

  
“You also brought us together.” The voice belonged to Bruce. Loki should have known that he would be the first mortal to defend him. “Without you, Loki, there would not have been any Avengers. You should stay.” The emerald eyes roved about the room, the men and women of SHIELD and the Avengers all nodded in agreement.

  
“You are not your appearance, Loki. You have showed us that, time and time again in the last few months,” Natasha said, her hand resting on her rounded stomach.

  
“Thank you, Nat, Bruce. I’ll stay, but, only with the consent of all parties. I must speak with the Man of Iron.” The Jotunn slowly walked towards the shivering mass in the corner. He knelt beside the man who drew further away, sliding as far into the corner as was physically possible.

  
“Tony,” Loki whispered quietly. “I...” He didn’t know what to say to the man. “I am the same man I was a month ago. I swear to you.” He paused, watching the man in front of him continue to shake and moan ‘No’ repeatedly. “Please, Stark, let me help you. I can help you.”

  
The man continued to shake and whimper. Slowly, Loki reached towards the man in front of him and gently laid his warm hand on the other man’s arm. Tony flinched but was unable to pull further away. Quickly, the new All-Father released a calming spell, slowing the smaller man’s breathing and heart rate. “Now Tony, I am going to help you. I cannot help or make you forget, but I can help you regain control. I can help you understand what resulted out of your selfless actions. It was not fear, but bravery, Stark. Will you let me help you?”

  
The mortal, no longer shaking, would not look at the god beside him. “Yuh-you can help me? Therapists I paid millions to couldn’t help me. You made me like this. Huh-how can you help me? You can only ruin and destroy.” 

“No,” Loki whispered. “I am an agent of Chaos, but Chaos is not always a means of destruction. It can be used to build and create great things, wonderful things, Tony. You, yourself, with your creations, are an Agent of Chaos, Tony. One of the finest that I have ever witnessed. Let me help you.”  
The mortal nodded once, giving the Jotunn the permission he wanted. He eased his seidr into the other man, calming and soothing as he worked towards his brain and his memories. The recollection of being thrown out a window was rather terrifying, as was the near-death experience with the nuclear bomb. Loki rewired the man to remember the good that had come of those events, not the terror he felt nor the hopelessness that consumed him. As he withdrew, he could feel the peace that had settled onto the Man of Iron and he gave a small, quiet smile. “Again, I am so sorry Stark. What I did was truly awful and I do regret it, so very much.”

  
He stood and offered his thin, pale hand to the man who sat below him. Stark smiled up at him with unabashed glee. “Reindeer Games!” He accepted the hand and allowed himself to be hauled to his feet. “You’ve lost some of your color. No sun on Asgard?”

  
“Your rapier wit is as incomprehensible to me as always, Man of Iron,” the god chuckled, shaking the inventor’s hand and turning towards the center of the room. His daughter, seeing that the crisis was averted, told Jarvis to open the gallery doors and begin the show. Loki continued to walk towards the center of the large space and was met by Thor as the populace flooded through the glass doors, shouts and exclamations of appreciation filling the space.

 

“This is like one of my dreams, Brother,” Thor said, looking over his younger sibling’s Aesir appearance. “It is like nothing has changed. Like we are the boys that we were and my stupidity never brought us to Jotunnheim.”

  
“Thor,” Loki laid his hand on his brother’s large upper arm, “it was not your stupidity that brought us to Jotunnheim. It was my jealousy and my awareness that you were not ready for the crown. I let the Jotunn in that day, I supported your anger with my twisted words, I was the one who set us on this path. Everything has changed, Brother, but I do not regret it. I am loathe to think of what would have become of us if I had not stupidly and jealously offered them the Casket. Think of Jane, think of Aiko, think of Torsten and Daryn. Would any of them be here if I hadn’t interrupted your coronation and we hadn’t gone on our little adventure to Jotunnheim? I think not, Brother.” He smiled, not worried about flashing any fangs around the mortal populace.

  
“You are right, Brother.” He clapped his younger sibling on the shoulder. “Go! Enjoy your daughter’s marvelous artwork. She would want you to.” Loki smiled in response and returned his brother’s clap on the shoulder before turning to find his child.

  
Aiko was standing beside her portrait of Stark her hands waving animatedly as she discussed her artwork. He stood back, listening to her discuss her idea to capture the Avengers at everyday tasks. After all, they were (for all intensive purposes) just human. The teenager spotted him standing towards the back of the crowd that had gathered. He was very handsome, she had to admit, his black hair and his pale skin causing his green eyes to glisten with a hint of mischief. He seemed so young, no older than the eighteen or nineteen years he claimed was the mortal equivalent. She felt bad that he felt the need to take this form but at the same time he was striking. Her hands itched for her sketchpad and charcoal, or for her camera. “Excuse me, for a moment.” She extricated herself from the crowd and found herself at her father’s side.

  
“Blue,” she said, taking his arm. “Shall I give you the grand tour?”

  
“Of course, my Child of Love.” He smiled at her and allowed her to steer him through the gallery. She stopped him in front of her picture of Steve and the war memorial and the pigeons. “This is such an emotional painting, Aiko. It may be my favorite.”

  
“It’s only the second that you’ve seen! Though I do love this painting. It means so much to Steve. He goes everyday, rain or shine, Hel or high water. He told me that it makes him feel connected to the men and women who didn’t make it home. I think he has a bit of survivor’s guilt. Not only did he survive the war, he’s still young and whole."

  
“I know, my Darling. Thor and I lived through it too.” His daughter looked up at his handsome face, her eyes asking for an explanation. “The All-Father had wanted to end the war quickly. He had always had a soft spot for Midgard and it’s lack of seidr and the knowledge that accompanies it. Thor and I were dispatched, enlisted in the British Army. I was a medic and tactician, Thor was infantry. It was brutal and horrific. There was nothing we could do about it but try our best to survive. I am pleased that Steve let you into that nightmare - it will help him heal.”

  
“I’m just glad that he let me capture it.” She sighed and then pulled her father to the next portrait.

  
The evening was consumed by such beautiful works. The painting of Clint and Natasha, the archer standing behind his partner, both of their hands on her small but slightly rounded stomach, was incredibly touching. They were perfect for each other and their pure joy that his daughter had captured was palpable. Coulson’s portrait made the Jotunn smile. The man, dressed in his ever-present suit, was standing in front of his Captain America collection. He had a figure of each of the Avengers littered throughout, making it appear like a ‘Search and Find’ children’s book. There was even a tiny blue horned figurine. Aiko had said that she had added it herself, because, after all, wasn’t he helping the Avengers? Fury, not available to pose, was portrayed from the back, his bald head and eyepatch strap the only hint to his identity. He was reclining in a lounge chair on a beach, a fruity drink in hand. Bruce’s portrait was medical in nature, his glasses perched on his nose as he read a thick, leather-bound medical journal, with others dog-eared and bookmarked on the lab table in front of him. His child’s portrayal of Thor made Loki laugh boisterously. He was sitting, cross-legged, in an arm chair in the Asgardian suite, the light from the TV illuminating the room and falling on the Avenger. He was asleep, his mouth wide open in a snore and in each arm, sleeping peacefully, were his children, tiny and precious.

  
Lastly, Aiko stopped him at the portrait she had shown Frigga all those months ago. It was dark, the moonlight streaming into the room from the window on the left, capturing the profile of the ‘Mystery Avenger,’ as the mortals were calling it. The figure was strange, it’s head sporting a pair of majestic horns, it’s stomach large and heavy with child. “Why did you include this, Aiko?” he had asked, confused and a bit self conscious.

  
“Because, it deserved to be here. Without it, there would be no Avengers.”  
____________________________________

  
After the opening wound down, the brothers and the young woman wished their friends goodnight and made their way back up to the Asgardian suite, exhausted but glad that the opening was such a success. Once they got there, Loki, his headache growing increasingly uncomfortable as the evening wore on, muttered the counter-spell under his breath while he loosened his dark green tie. The pain of regrowth caused him to hiss and turned both Thor and Aiko’s attentions to him. “I’m fine,” he rasped through the splitting of his temple and he quickly kicked off his dress shoes, his claws and toes, breaking through the black socks he wore.

  
“Loki,” Thor gasped, watching in awe-struck horror as his brother’s teeth elongated and sharpened before his very eyes. The green cornea was obliterated by a tidal-wave of red in a quick sweep. The skin on his exposed hands and face turned a pale blue, deepening to the rich azure that they had come to know, bleeding underneath the clothing the Jotunn wore, the ridges blooming rapidly after it. The most shocking thing for the King of Asgard, however, was the eruption of the horns from his younger brother’s head. The violence of the upward thrust had caused the new All-Father to inhale sharply, feeling every ring slide out of his skull.

  
The de-spelling complete, Loki reached up to check his temples, pleased to find that they were not bleeding and equally glad the his massive headache had subsided. He looked up to find his brother and his daughter, both very pale and petrified. “I’m so sorry,” he said quickly realizing his mistake. “I should have done that in my room.”

  
“Blue...” Aiko breathed and then ran to him, wrapping her arms around him and squeezed tightly. Her heat cut through the layers of his suit, comforting him as he returned the gesture.

  
“Is that what it was like, Brother?” Thor still looked like he was going to be ill. “All those years ago in the Midgard prison?” His voice was soft, apologetic.

  
“This was much less awful, Brother. Much faster. And I knew what was coming, unlike on Midgard, in my cell.” He met his brother’s sad gaze. “Thor - it was torture, pure Hel. And I just wanted to have someone, anyone tell me that what I was going through would somehow redeem me, somehow make me a better being. And she found me.” He looked down at the woman who was still holding on to his middle for dear life. “You found me,” he whispered and bent down to kiss the top of her head lovingly. 


	74. Chapter 74

**Asgard**

  
“And I can’t just override this command because?” Loki was looking at the smaller, frailer god before him. The white-haired man smiled briefly, amused by his youngest son’s impudence.

  
“Because, Loki, for all everyone knows, _I_ am still All-Father of the Nine and I have decreed that my youngest child is to be wed for political reasons and for the betterment of the realms.”

  
“Fine,” the Jotunn rolled his eyes. “But do not be surprised when the women of the Nine are disappointed that they are not being offered positions as Thor’s concubine - No offense, Jane. You know that I love you, darling.” He held a blue ridged hand up as a sign of peace.

  
“None taken, Loki,” Jane said. “And I love you too. I’ve always wanted a kid brother.”

  
The Jotunn smirked. “And I have always wanted a sister. For some reason, Thor never liked getting his hair braided.” Jane snorted, Aiko laughed, and Frigga giggled politely, remembering her much younger son chasing his older, teenaged brother with a brush and hair ribbons through the halls of Bilskirnir.

  
“That being said, I still doubt that this is going to go well,” Loki sighed, rubbing his face in an attempt to awaken his enthusiasm.

  
“I can see no downsides,” Thor chimed in. “Who would not want to wed a prince of Asgard, the fourth in line to the throne and the King’s Chief Counsel?”

  
“Everyone, Thor. Everyone,” Loki’s blood red eyes met his brother’s stormy pair. “In case you haven’t noticed, despite my little parlor trick last night, I am not Aesir. I am not even male. No one will _want_ to marry me even with my fancy titles and important positions, unless that is all they are marrying me for.”

  
“Which is a possibility. It is a _political_ arrangement, Loki. It does not need to be based off of love for it to be powerful, for it to be what the Nine need.” Odin’s voice cut through the Jotunn’s consciousness.

  
“So you mean to sell me into a loveless marriage.” He watched the older man flinch under his intense and uncomfortable gaze.

  
It was Frigga who responded to his statement. “That’s what happened to me.” It was a quiet answer, but it gave the young god pause. “I was given to Odin in a political alliance between Asgard and Vanaheim. I will not lie to you Loki: I did not love him - at first. Now, I cannot think of a future without him.” She reached her hand towards her husband, who grasped it, their eyes meeting in a look of pure love. “It may come to pass that you will find love too, my son.”

  
Though he doubted it fervently, the Jotunn stated, “And what if I find my life-mate? And it is not the poor woman I am bound to?”

  
Tired of the proceedings, Odin murmurred, “And what if you don’t?”

  
Resigned, Loki nodded and sighed. “Then let us begin.”  
__________________________

  
Loki gave the women credit, they were walking into a rather formidable scene. Odin sat, rigid and erect upon his throne, keeping the pretense of his reign. To his left sat Frigga, to her left, the prince in question, and to his left, his beautiful daughter. To the elderly god’s right sat his true son and heir, to his right sat Jane. It was not a friendly chat to say the least and the women were facing the royal family alone.

  
The first few had crumbled under pressure, stammering under Odin’s questioning and shrinking away from their would-be husband. One had even fainted at the mention of a political arrangement involving the Jotunn Advisor. Needless to say, the Council-selected women were proving to be rather large disappointments to all parties involved.

  
The newest woman was different, however. She strode purposefully towards the raised dais at the end of the long hall, not intimidated in the slightest by the beings that were assembled before her. When she reached the bottom of the platform, she swept into a deep curtsy, reverence oozing from her very pores. She was tall, about five foot ten, and very lithe of limb. Every feature was delicate and well-proportioned, like a dancer. Her eyes echoed Loki’s Aesir orbs, a light blue-green shade that sat below a high brow and an intricately styled curly blonde head of hair.

  
“Your Majesties.” Her voice was light, flute-like, and, it set Loki’s seidr on-edge. She had power, and a lot of it.

  
“Rise,” Odin commanded. “Please, tell us your name.”

  
The woman rose fluidly, arranging herself into a statuesque picture of beauty. “I am the Lady Amora, of Asgard.”

  
“Welcome, Lady Amora,” Frigga said with a small smile, noticing how her youngest son had sat a bit straighter when the woman had stood.

  
“Do you know why you have been brought before the rulers of Asgard and the Nine?” Odin’s voice intoned, carrying it’s typical weight and power.

  
“All-Father,” the woman began meekly. “I am here...” She paused and bowed her pretty head. When she raised it again, her eyes and mouth had turned hard, her upper lip pulled back into a sneer. “...to _kill_ you.”

  
A ball of green seidr burst from the woman’s hands and hit the weakened patriarch in the chest. Frigga screamed and instantly leapt to her husband’s side, her hands alight with her healing powers. Loki threw a shielding spell around his daughter who was screaming, before turning towards the woman below. Having released the spell that had struck Odin, the woman had two more spells going at once. A strand of seidr wrapped itself around Jane’s throat like a leash, the Queen was gagging under the force and signs of aging were forming across her face and hair. The second spell had wrapped itself around Thor, blanketing his head in a sickly green light.

  
Furious, Loki blasted the woman, breaking her concentration. The Jotunn attacked again, his immense seidr quickly overwhelming the woman as he roared his rage, both at himself for falling under her spell and at her for even thinking that attacking the royal family would be a good idea. With a sharp flick of his wrist, the blonde witch was bound hand and foot, her seidr contained.

  
Amora screamed her rage, her eyes flashing dangerously. “How _dare_ you, _Jotunn SCUM_! Restore my power, you beast!”

  
Much more calmly than he had originally intended, Loki levelly replied, “Never. You knowingly and willingly attacked the royal family of Asgard. For that, you will pay.”

  
“ _BY WHAT RIGHT?!_ ” she howled in a blind rage as she tried to break the chains that bound her.

  
Loki smiled maliciously. “By every right, Witch.” He looked up at the guards and healers who had come running at the sound of the commotion that had rocked the throne room just moments previous. Taking a deep breath, he stated, in the most commanding and majestic voice he could muster, “As All-Father to the Nine, I, Loki Laufeyson, hereby sentence you to life in the deepest and darkest dungeon of Asgard, your seidr bound and your vile tongue curbed. This is the will of the All-Father. So mote it be.” He dismissed the still shrieking woman with a flick of his wrist. He would reassess at a later time, but now, his family needed him.

  
Aiko was next to Thor, which made Loki turn to Jane first. She was bleeding from a large but shallow cut on her brow and a raw, red line circled her delicate throat, but the rest of her body seemed physically alright. Except for one thing: she had aged exponentially. “Jane?” Loki asked, laying an icy hand on her wounded brow and healing it with a whisper. “Can you hear me Jane?”

  
The woman blinked her eyes before refocusing on the blue, ridged face that hovered over her. “Loki?” she rasped. “I-I feel awful.”

  
Loki grasped her hands in his, searching her body for any trace of the evil magic the enchantress had used on her. He frowned, then choked back a small sob, a single tear forming in each eye. “No,” he murmured, raising a hand to cradle his sister-in-laws wrinkled face, the other rising to brush her greying hair away from her forehead.

  
“What is it Loki?” she whispered, her eyes drilling into his own. Her warm, aged hand covered the Claws of the hand that rested on her cheek.

  
“Jane,” he gasped. “She has stolen your Aesir essence. You’re mortal. The age you would be if Thor had never wed you.” To his surprise, the small woman gave him a small, forgiving smile.

  
“Go attend to the others, Loki. I am stable. We can fix me later, alright?” Her other hand wiped his freezing tears from his face. “I’ll be alright.” The Jotunn nodded and kissed his sister-in-law’s brow before moving on to his brother.

  
Thor was unconscious, but breathing. A cursory check showed that he had no internal bleeding and Loki moved on. He would gather more information regarding his older sibling when he had woken.

  
He shifted his gaze to his mother, and to the man that had been his father. The regal woman was cradling Odin in her arms, rocking back and forth, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Mother?” Loki said quietly, already fearing what the first blow had wrought.

  
The beautiful woman looked up at her youngest son, the sight of him set her body shaking with sobs. A sinking feeling plummeted through the young man’s body and towards the center of the earth. Slowly, mechanically, he stepped around the body of the old All-Father, and wrapped his strong, azure arms around the crying woman, a rather shabby and poor attempt at comfort. Frigga began to shake more violently, her teeth chattering and her skin pale. Loki withdrew his embrace, even as his mother scrambled after it, gripping one of his arms with a force he had never thought possible. Quickly and with one hand, he unclasped his ceremonial cloak and draped it across her heaving shoulders before returning to embrace her again.

  
“Loki,” she whispered, taking his hand and placing it on the still chest of the man in her arms. His seidr was greeted with the natural seidr Odin had possessed. It flowed into his body, making him gasp and renewing his tears. There was no life left in the old man. His mother was clutching an empty shell, a reminder of what was and the promise of life without him.

  
“No!” Loki hissed, the loss of the man that he had spent so much of his life trying to please, cut him deeply. He had finally proven his worth, had finally become a Son of Odin and now, he was truly Son of No One. Both of his fathers were dead.

  
Removing his hand, Loki held Frigga tighter both for his comfort and for hers. Jane, slowly made her way to them, kneeling at the All-Mother’s side and taking her hand gently in her own. Tears streamed down her newly aged cheeks, still beautiful in Loki’s eyes, if not a bit wise Her new state of existence made Frigga look like her younger sister.

  
“Blue!” Aiko shouted, her hands flying off of her uncle’s chest as the god rose, clutching his head and moaning obnoxiously.

  
Loki remained where he was, glad that he had shielded Aiko in case, but not truly worried about his sibling at this point. There were other hurts that were still too fresh and too deep.

  
Thor stood, one hand still pressed firmly to his temple and his eyes fell on the gathering of his family. “FATHER!” he bellowed, anger boiling to the surface, before his gaze fell on the blue arms that encircled his mother. “RELEASE HER, YOU VILE CREATURE!”

  
Loki looked back a Thor, shock written plainly across his face. “W-what?”

  
“YOU HEARD ME, YOU MURDERING JOTUNN FILTH!” Thor’s ripped right arm stuck straight out from his body, summoning Mjölnir. “FIRST YOU KNOCK ME OUT, THEN YOU KILL THE ALL-FATHER IN COLD BLOOD. NOW YOU AIM TO SHIELD YOURSELF WITH MY MOTHER AND AN INNOCENT MORTAL WOMAN?! YOU’RE DISGRACEFUL, DESPICABLE, A MONSTER.”

  
“Thor!” Jane cried, shocked at her husband. She rose to her feet. “Thor! Do you not remember me? It’s me! It’s Jane - Jane Foster! Thor! Do you not love me any more?” Slowly, she inched her way towards the glaring god. His hard expression faltered.

  
“J-Jane?” the God of Thunder stammered. “How came you here? How are you so...aged?”

  
That was when Loki knew he was in trouble. He released his grip on Frigga, who cried harder and moaned, ‘No, no, no’ repeatedly. He gently extricated himself from the All-Mother and rose, his hands raised to reveal that he was unarmed. Of course, Thor would not fall for that, knowing that the Jotunn created their own weapons.

  
It was at that moment that Mjölnir connected with her owner’s hand, rousing him from his focus on the small woman in front of him and returning his attention to his younger sibling, or, in Thor’s now twisted mind, the Jotunn beast responsible for murdering Odin.

  
“Your Majesty, ple-” Loki was unable to continue as he was blown backwards, a magical hammer pressed against his chest. Quickly, he armored his insides, knowing that when he landed, without extra protection, he would die, crushed to death by his own brother’s hammer. In less than a second, his head connected with a solid marble pillar, the force cracking the smooth surface, and he crumpled to the ground in a heap, unconscious.


	75. Chapter 75

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Brainwashed non-con

A soft, warm touch brushed his Horns, pulling hair off his brow. The sensation pulled the Jotunn awake with a gasp, his ruby eyes connecting with the brown pair that hovered above him. “Jane?” He asked, surprised, as he attempted to sit up.

  
“No! Don’t!” Jane’s warning was too late and her brother-in-law’s head was snapped back against the wall behind it, bouncing off the rough stones with the sound of rattling chains. His brow furrowed and he quickly scanned the room. It was a dungeon of relatively high security. No windows, so relatively deep. He was seated on a pile of rather damp and moldy straw, which caused his nose to crinkle. When he moved to cover the sensitive organ with his hands, he discovered that they were chained together with rough, iron manacles, as were his ankles. His eyes met Jane’s again, questioning.

  
“You’re chained to the wall behind you by your horns.” The mortal looked incredibly apologetic. “We’re going to get you out of here, I promise. I just need to fill you in on some things first. Thor has been brainwashed or something. He thinks it’s 25 years ago, kind of. At least, he thought that I was still on Midgard and I was still 25. Frigga and I have convinced him otherwise. He thinks Aiko is ours, like birthed from my womb, ours. An illegitimate half-mortal, same with the twins, our precious babes worth nothing in his mind. They are only there to keep me occupied while he messed around with other women. We are not married, thus why I have aged. I don’t know if you can reverse my age, Loki, but I will not be mortal for much longer, not if Frigga has any say.”

  
Loki nodded silently, letting the information sink in. “Thor thinks he is the King of Asgard and the All-Father of the Nine. He is reckless, so like the man he was before Midgard. It’s as if it never happened. I’m not sure how this new timeline was created, but she wanted him to forget everything that made him good, that made him wise. I don’t think he loves me, Loki, or find me attractive in the least.”

  
The Jotunn, laid a cold hand on her slim shoulder, watching the tears collect in her eyes. “So he still views me as a war criminal and knows nothing of my true heritage?” he asked softly. “He has no hope of my return and now, because of Amora, he is planning on destroying the peace that he and I have forged with Jotunnheim. Is that what’s happening, Jane?”

  
“Yes. Though, he no longer blames you for the All-Father’s death. We set him straight. He knows that it was Amora.”

  
“Then why am I here, Jane? What did I do?”

  
The mortal gulped. “He thinks that you are a war prize, taken from the last wars with the Jotunn and that you are his personal-” She swallowed again. “Slave.”

  
The prince’s face was blank, his ruby eyes closed as he processed the information. “What kind of slave?” he asked levelly, already having an idea as to what Amora had concocted in his brother’s twisted mind.

  
“Currently?” Jane asked brightly. “Nursemaid. Previously...uh...I am not quite sure...”

  
“That’s fine, Jane,” Loki stopped her before things became very awkward and embarrassing for the both of them.

  
“On the brighter side,” Jane smiled. “He is unaware of your seidr.” Loki returned the smile, a plan percolating in his mind. “Now let’s get you out of here.” She produced a small key from her pocket and set about unlocking his head, the chains rattling as his horns were freed. The Jotunn swiped his hands over the cuffs on his wrists and ankles, smiling as they popped open with a soft click.

  
He rubbed his wrists gently, healing the slight chafing from the ill-fitting appliances. “Where am I needed, Lady Jane?” he asked politely, falling into the character of willing but humble servant.

  
“Loki...” Jane started, shaking her head at the title that her more powerful brother-in-law had used to address her.

  
“No, Milady. It _has_ to be this way.” He took a quick glance around the cell, to be certain that no one was watching them, and then leaned in and embraced his sister-in-law. “I am but the vessel. No mortal your age could have carried Torsten and Daryn. You need to treat me as such. Let him believe what he wishes - it will make it easier for me to observe the spell she has woven and eventually break it.” He planted a gentle kiss on her wrinkled brow. “Also, you shouldn’t call me Loki. The King probably thinks that I am a despicable war criminal that has absolutely no remorse or feeling for anyone or anything. Also, why would he name a Frost Giant runt after his younger brother? No. Call me Blue. At least I’ll remember to respond to that.”

  
Jane pulled away and pulled her face into a schooled and reserved blank, though her eyes still sparkled with the love she felt for her ‘younger brother.’ “Blue,” she said and then cleared her throat. “Your presence is required in the nursery. The heirs are in need of sustenance.”

  
“Of course, Milady. I will be right there.” He put an obedient expression on his face, his ruby eyes cowering under his bowed horns. He moved briskly from the cell, trailing behind Jane at a respectful but dutiful distance. They traveled in silence, the staff bowing deeply as they passed. The servants did not know about Loki’s promotion, and now subsequent demotion, but they still paid respect to Jane and the Jotunn. Loki made a mental note to somehow address that issue.

  
“JANE!” The bellow was echoing down the halls of Bilskirnir. “THE BABIES ARE CRYING! WHERE IS THAT WORTHLESS JOTUNN?!” Both Jane and Loki flinched and picked up their pace. They rounded the corner into the nursery, the walls painted a cheery yellow with a light marble trim around the small room. The cribs, a crisp white were angled into the room, but were on opposite sides, framing the single, large window. There was a single rocking chair positioned next to the changing table. The babies were shrieking and whimpering, distressed by the angry man that had replaced their attentive and loving father, and upset because they had yet to be fed.

  
Thor was standing between the cribs, framed by the light streaming through the window, not looking at his children. Instead he was standing, red-faced, arms-crossed, glaring at the two people that had just entered the room. “WHAT took you SO. LONG?” The King snapped at the two figures, Jane cowering under her unfamiliar husband’s cruel gaze and Loki flinching beside her, worried. _What did that woman do to you, Thor?_ he wondered.

  
“I am terribly sorry, Your Majesty,” he said quietly, dipping his head. “Milady and I had trouble with the locks in my...cell.” He began to unbind his breasts and quickly moved past his brother towards his niece, whose lungs were much stronger and obnoxious than her younger brother. He covered his arms with blankets and scooped the screaming newborn.

  
“Shhh, shhhh. My Darling. I’m here,” he crooned, his deep voice contrasting greatly with the yelling that had been happening just seconds earlier. He kept his back turned away from the King of Asgard, shifting his bosom Aesir and then shrinking it so that the baby covered the warm, pale skin when she latched. The Jotunn quickly turned away from the crib, the little girl happily suckling at his breast, and found the King staring at him.

  
“Excuse me, My Lord,” he mumbled, his head bowed. Thor did not move, part glaring at the blue man in front of him as if he was allowing him to live because it pleased his great mightiness, and part awkward stare, his eyes flickering to and from the exposed Jotunn breast. Loki’s eyes went wide and he quickly walked around the blonde god and picked up his nephew. The little boy cooed and snuggled into his breast, causing the Jotunn to smile. He made his way to the rocker, purring to the babies as his gait rocked them gently. He could feel the stormy eyes of the king on his body, roving over it. The new All-Father gulped, trying to ignore the sinking feeling that he was being visually violated by his typically overprotective brother. He just prayed to the Norns that Jane was not watching this.

  
The babies finished consuming the rich nourishment that he provided, and he quickly transformed his bosom before the revealed Aesir nipples and areolae made the King aware of his seidr. Torsten was quickly removed from his arms and he and Jane burped the full and sleepy infants before laying them down for their afternoon nap. Both the King’s brother and wife made their way to the door of the nursery. Thor had not moved since he had begun to stare at Loki’s breasts.

  
“STOP,” the blonde man commanded. Both the Jotunn and the mortal stopped abruptly, dread sweeping through the younger god. “Jane, you can keep going. I believe there are wedding plans to be made for our nuptials on the morrow.”

  
The small woman immediately turned, bowed to her husband, and quickly swept from the room. The horned man kept his face on his horned feet, the claws digging into the carpet, and turned to face the King of Asgard. “What can I help you with My Lord?”

  
“Look at me, Jotunn.” Unable to disobey a direct command, he raised his ruby eyes to the stormy gaze of the King. His brother’s eyes said it all, and Loki crossed his arms over his still unbound chest. “Drop your arms.” The younger man did as he was told, trembling with embarrassment and humiliation. Thor would never do this to anyone, even a Jotunn slave - would he? The eyes that scanned his chest area made the young god squirm.

  
Apparently, it turned the blonde god on because he covered the expanse quickly and grasped the leaner man’s arms tightly, causing the smaller god to whimper in pain. “M-muh-My Lord?” he stammered.

  
“SHUT UP!” Thor growled, pushing his younger brother against the wall behind him, the younger man’s horns slamming into it, scrapping the paint. Loki gasped in shock, as the king’s hands shifted to his tender breasts, kneading them mercilessly. The Jotunn writhed, making a failed attempt to break from his brother’s advances, incredibly uncomfortable and in pain.

  
_Keep it together_ , he said levelly to himself as the panic began to overwhelm him. _Use this opportunity to GET OUT of this and HELP THOR!_ He shifted some of his seidr into the large man and his seidr quickly seeped into the blonde’s twisted brain. The woman, that damned enchantress, had rewired the King of Asgard. His mind was jumbled, parts of it were entirely locked away while others were mutilated. The All-Father shifted a small shoot of his seidr into the man that was his brother, setting it to work on returning the larger man to himself.

  
Thor growled, yanking Loki back into his own consciousness. The blonde beard was scratching his neck as the king bit at his shoulder, his tongue roughing the ridges there. The Frost Giant cursed the lines that traversed his body as the stimulation made his legs shake and a moan to pass his blue lips. The older god’s head traveled lower, his lips brushing a blue nipple, a hand pushing against the wall beside the Jotunn’s head, the other finding it’s way down to his mutilated nether region.

  
“N-n-n-n-No,” he whimpered, praying that his loincloth would remain firmly in place, loathing that his body was betraying him. His gums ached, his teeth feeling incredibly sharp. His mouth was open, his eyes fixating on the other man’s neck. _Nononononono_ , he berated himself. _This is THOR! He is **not** your life-mate_. His brother’s ministrations were certainly not helping matters.

  
That was when the King of Asgard bit into his neck, hard. His Aesir teeth were not sharp enough to break the skin, but it made Loki roar, his head thrown back, his horns taking more paint off the walls. His clawed hands moved on their own accord, grasping at the larger man’s hair and yanking it violently, loving and loathing the man’s attentions.

  
A sharp knock on the door caused the King’s hands to still, one painfully squeezing one of his blue, empty breasts, the other on his Heart ridges as they wound down his hips to his mercifully covered genitalia. Thor pulled his mouth off of the bruised, blue neck of the Jotunn. “WHAT IS IT?! IT HAD _BETTER_ BE IMPORTANT!” he bellowed next to the smaller god’s ear, causing Loki to flinch and try to break free. His struggle, only caused the King of Asgard to squeeze his breast and hip harder. The Jotunn whined, the high pitched keen sounding foreign to his still-ringing ears.

  
A soft voice, his daughter’s, replied, “My King, the funeral preparations for the All-Father are complete. The sun is nearly set. We are only waiting for you to begin.”

  
Thor let go of the other man, who slid down the wall to the floor, cowering and curling into a ball. The older god glowered down at him. He hissed, “Get the babies. They need to be present at the funeral.” Loki was having a panic attack, his rapid breath shallowly whooshing in and out of his aching chest, his ruby eyes wide in shock and horror. He was hearing his brother but he could not make himself obey, make his body move.

  
The blonde man impatiently reached down to haul the shaking Frost Giant at his feet, which frightened Loki into moving. He scrambled along the wall, never taking his eyes off of the King. He rose, still shivering with fright and arousal, and snatched the slings off the back of the rocker, throwing them on. He arranged them so that his bosom was covered, his breast band crumpled underneath the king’s heavily booted feet.

  
Loki closed his eyes and inhaled slowly, willing himself to forget what had just transpired. Humming to reassure the sleeping infants, he gently swaddled them and placed them in the slings. He softly caressed their chubby cheeks, smiling at their innocence.

  
“LET’S GO,” Thor growled loudly, yanking the doors open forcefully and stamped down the golden halls. Aiko stood in the open door, terrified.

  
“Blue?” She whispered, her eyes filled with tears.

  
“Aiko, my Child of Love.” Loki smiled at her sadly. “Do not worry about me. I can take care of myself.” Right now, he seriously doubted his own words, but his daughter did not know that he could still smell Thor and his perpetual ozone fragrance or that his gums were aching, or that he was, for the first time in his life, terrified of his older brother.

  
The Jotunn met his daughter at the door and swept her into his arms, kissing her brow and reveling in her closeness. She let go, the floodgates opened and she sobbed into his chest. Loki could feel his own tears tracing the Bergelmir’s Tears on his cheeks, and he kissed his daughter’s hair again. “I love you, so, so much.” He kissed her again, the babies whimpering in their sleep.

  
“We should go and say our goodbyes to your grandfather.” The Jotunn received a flash in his mind.

  
_Odin was in his study with Frigga, the fire roared in the fireplace. Frigga was stitching, a smile on her face. “I am so glad that Loki has returned to us. And brought us Aiko. She is quite an astonishing young woman.”_

  
_The All-Father smile, his single eye twinkling. “That she is Frigga. I am so proud of what she has accomplished in such a short amount of time. And she has brought the Jotunn home to you. I do love her - I think I have since that first disastrous dinner where you would only talk about that son of yours.”_

  
_Frigga put down her sewing with a sigh. “He’s your son too, my darling.” Odin smiled in response._

  
_“That is yet to be seen, but it may be a possibility.” He smiled at his wife and offered her his hand._

  
Loki smiled as the memory faded, glad to know that the man had never really given up on him. “He truly loved you, Aiko, and he was so proud of you. He would not want to see you mourning him. Instead, he would want you to be happy to know that he was happy and proud that you were his granddaughter.”

  
Aiko sniffed, and wiped her nose with a lacy handkerchief. “He was proud of you, too, Blue. And he did love you.” Loki smiled lovingly at his only child and the children of his brother and sister-in-law.

  
“I know,” he murmured, cradling the slings with the twins and kissing Aiko’s tear-streaked cheek. “I know.”


	76. Chapter 76

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Brainwashed non-con

The vast expanse of the sky was decorated with millions of stars and constellations, beautiful and perfect, stretching out in all directions as far as his ruby eyes could see. The sunset was still painting the edges of the sky, highlighting the sheer drop into the void that the water that surrounded the golden city rolled off in gentle waves. There was not a single cloud that blotted out the tiny pinpricks of light in the blackness of the sky. It could not have been a more perfect night to wish the guardian of the Nine a swift journey to the halls of Valhalla.

  
On his way to his place, the Jotunn passed by the old All-Father lying in regal state. Odin was reclined on sheets of pure white silk with intricate patterns woven of pure gold woven around the edges. His armor, helm, and eyepatch, the striking gold stunningly polished, shimmered in the flickering torch light, contrasting with the white hair that flowed over his shoulders and the faded brown leather underneath. It was his face, framed by all the white and the gold, that struck Loki the most. It was peaceful, almost youthful in appearance, exuding a stately calm that was freed from worry. The man that was his father. His burden had been laid aside and he would find his way to Valhalla where he would be honored among his kinsmen.

  
Now the burden of All-Father had past to him, an azure Jotunn with a terrifying form and a suspect past. A man who was still unsure of himself, his recent interaction with his brother still present in the back of his mind, his insecurities only emphasized by his current state of violated slavery. The pressure was beginning to mount and Loki just wanted to be able to disappear and leave all of the problems for Thor to solve. Except that the current Thor would fail. It was obvious that the narcissistic King of Asgard did not care for anyone besides himself, so why would he care about his mortal concubine, his wrongly enslaved slave, or the fact that anything he tried to anything with the seidr of the All-Father, he would fail and someone, probably himself or Jane, would take the brunt of it. But now was not the time to think on the future. It was a time to reflect on the past and to be grateful for the man who had placed this responsibility on him, the highest honor he could have bestowed.

  
Loki’s ruby gaze fell on the sleeping god before him. “Thank you, All-Father,” he whispered. “You taught me so much and I am grateful for it. You left at a rather inopportune time, Odin, but I swear that I will not let you down. I will strive to keep the Nine from falling into destructive chaos but I will not stop change. I will be a force for it, eliminating oppression and discrimination. I will do you proud, Father. I swear.”

  
Smiling sadly, the Jotunn cradled the babies in their slings and moved to take his place behind the royal family. It wasn’t really _his_ place, but the space of the children of the King. He knew that the surrounding populace would be confused, though he was sure the Lady Sif and the Warriors Three knew what was happening. Jane was thorough. The Jotunn was just glad that he was allowed to be at the funeral to begin with, knowing that, when it was over, it would be dinner time for the little ones, and back to his cell until the babies woke in the night to be fed again. He somehow doubted that the King would let Jane feed them from the bottles he had pumped over the weeks.

  
The new All-Father was pulled from his thoughts when the singing began. It was a sweet, high sound, a single boy soprano, singing the life of Odin Borson and the promise of Valhalla in the Old Tongue. Other voices joined in as the boat containing the All-Father was sent on it’s final journey. As the boat passed the rows of Aesir and honored visitors from the other realms, torches flared and other voices joined the crystalline purity of the young boy’s voice. Loki’s voice, with it’s strange ability to sing in multiple registers at once, joined in, giving the ode an ethereal quality. He felt tears welling in his ruby eyes as he watched the man who had been his father drift by, at peace.

  
His gaze flicked to Frigga. The woman, dressed in mourning black under her bronze ceremonial breastplate and holding Gungnir, looked incredibly strong. Tears flowed down her proud, stoic face as she watched the boat that contained her husband, the love of her life, float out into the calm bay, propelled forward by an unseen force. Loki had learned more from his mother than he had his adopted father, and wished that he inherited his mother’s strength for the coming days, weeks, months, years.

  
Just as the boat was pulling out of range into the open waters of the bay, the All-Mother tipped the spear of the All-Father forward, signaling Hogun to launch the flaming arrow. The Vanir warrior’s aim was true and the pyre of Odin went up in a blazing glory, lighting the water that it floated on like the noontime sun. The flames caused the water to dance, standing out from the starlit sky and the thin line of orangey-red sunset on the far horizon.

  
As the burning boat drifted over the edge of the world and into the open air above the Void, Frigga slammed Gungnir onto the golden floor beneath her. It suspended the boat for a split second, turning the essence of Odin into starlight before allowing the pyre to drop into the Void. Loki watched the stars swirl and lift into the millions of lights in the ebony sky. He spun his seidr, praying that Thor wasn’t watching, and created a shining blue-white orb of light. Everyone around him held their own ball of light, flickering and glowing with love and hope. As one, the Jotunn and the crowd released their orbs, lighting the way for the All-Father’s soul to follow to the halls of Valhalla.

  
On cue, the babies began to whine, hungry and ready for their evening meal. Loki quietly and discreetly excused himself from the gathering. He would catch up with his family after the little ones were fed and changed for bed. He somehow doubted that Thor would be on diaper duty anymore. By the time he’d reached the nursery, the babies were crying in full force and the Jotunn was glad that he had not rebound his chest, allowing the newborns to latch quickly. He hummed as they drank, unaware of the large male figure that entered the room until his nostrils flared. Ozone. Thor.

  
Startled, the young prince looked up from the rocker. “My Lord?” he asked, his eyes burning into the blonde, searching for any sign that the King’s sense had returned.

  
“Jotunn.” The voice was forceful, but, thankfully not yelled. The babies were growing sleepy, and Loki did not want them to waken. He was very aware of the other man’s blue eyes following him as he prepared the little ones for bed. He continued to hum and purr as if nothing was wrong, as if everything was the same. The infants did not need to know any different.

  
As soon as Daryn and Torsten were laid in their cradles, the large, hot hands were back on his cool body. Loki had originally been planning on using the Withering Touch on the man, but his body had other ideas. He felt himself getting warm, a strange sensation swept his limbs. He did not fight the tanned hands as they kneaded his sagging breasts. Nor did he make a move to escape the heat that radiated from the muscular body that was pressed into his bare back. Thor’s mouth found his shoulder, his blunt teeth marking the surface and stimulating the ridges. Loki moaned in disgust and lust, loving and hating every moment. One of the large hands traveled slowly south, tracing the Jotunn ridges, just as it had when his brother had first met him in this monstrous form over a year ago. This time, the hand had no intention of skirting around the loincloth, a meager piece of fabric covering such a heinous area. Frightened, the Jotunn tried to pull away only to have one of his horns yanked sideways by the other beefy hand. Thor’s teeth found his throat, bruising the tendons and the extension of his Bergelmir’s Tears. The younger god gasped in pain and humiliation, and, as his traitorous nether region attested, desire.

  
The large hands that were violating his body stopped suddenly as if frozen. They pulled away, dropping to their owner’s heaving sides. The blonde head pulled back slowly. Loki stiffened, afraid that his brother was going to move to take him elsewhere, only to slowly turn to meet stormy blue eyes that were mortified.

  
“I-I’m sorry.” The king’s voice was the softest it had been in what seemed like days. The larger man pulled away, backing away from the terrified and confused blue man before him. “I’m so sorry. What was I doing? I-I love my wife, my Jane. Go, just...just go.”

  
Loki stood, simultaneously relieved and confused. His seidr was obviously working, but he wondered the extent of the recovery. “I forgive you, My Lord. Can I ask, Your Majesty, do you know who I am?”

  
Thor looked at him inquisitively, his head cocked to the side. “You are Blue. A Frost Giant of Jotunnheim. You have been here since the Jotunn-Aesir War, a prisoner that the All-Father has granted certain rights and accesses due to your services to me in times of war. You have been my battle partner, a foil for my war criminal brother, Loki. A formidable foe. You have given my wife and I three beautiful children. Last spring I gifted you to my daughter to be her companion. And now I have dishonored you. I cannot undo what I have done, Blue. I...” The King of Asgard drifted off, his voice becoming overwhelmed by tears.

  
“My Lord, Thor. You were not in your right mind. Amora, the enchantress, has played with all of us. I forgive you.” He paused, bending to pick up his breast band and covering his chest. “If you’ll excuse me, My Lord, I must find the Lady Jane and see if I may aid her today with any problems that the witch may have caused her.”

  
Thor was gasping and crying, but Loki was not going to touch his brother, still too confused as to what had just happened. “Yes, yes, of course. Please, see to my wife.”

  
The All-Father practically ran from the room and made a sharp left, heading for Jane’s study. 


	77. Chapter 77

Loki quickly rounded the corner, wrapping himself as he went. He was so confused. The actions of Thor were unacceptable, based out of a spell contrived by a witch and yet, all the Jotunn could smell was ozone and his gums still tingled even as he clamped his jaw shut. On one hand, he knew exactly what his body was telling him, what he _needed_ to do. On the other, stood his duty to his _brother_ and to his beloved _sister-in-law_ , and his country, and the rest of the Nine.

  
He took a deep breath and opened the door to Jane’s study. He was unsurprised to find the woman among her books and charts, still working away on her theory of the Void despite what had happened to her and unaware of what had transpired in the other room just moments ago. “My Lady.” He swept into a low bow before quickly closing the distance between them.

  
“Blue,” Jane responded with a nod. “I believe that Princess Aiko will be joining us shortly.” She smiled, though her eyes were not happy. Instead they seemed to be saying _I hate this so much_. Unsure of how to verbally respond, Loki gave a small, polite smile and a brief nod of his head. “Please, have a seat.”

  
Obeying the Queen’s command, the Jotunn sat beside her, taking the hand that she had slid discreetly off the desk in front of her and into her lap. Her morose brown eyes met his ruby pair, questioning. Again, the All-Father nodded and sent his seidr into her small, aged frame, searching for any way to remove the spell that had been cast.

  
He scanned everywhere, double checking, triple checking, shooting out tiny sparks into even the darkest of places. He frowned, exhaling violently, disappointed that his search was amounting to nothing. She was clean, free from even the most minuscule trace of seidr. What the enchantress had done was beyond his knowledge - a spell that pulled life away from it’s victim without a magical footprint or means of tracing it’s origin. It was dark seidr, blacker than anything he had ever dealt with or performed himself. She had made even his most evil spells and concoctions look like parlor tricks, and it unsettled him greatly.

  
The mixture of gold, green, and blue played across every inch of the woman before him, even her eyes glowed with a heterochromia of seidr. And yet he had found but two things - the woman was a mortal and something was draining her life away. The force was coating her insides in strange shapes, twisting around her organs but it was not magic. It was a mortal disease and it was eating away at her insides. “My Lady,” he whispered, his voice thick with frustration and melancholy, “I suggest that you summon the Lady Idunn and the Lady Eir. I -” He broke off, shifting his gaze from her trusting eyes, to his hands, humming with seidr and completely worthless. He took a deep breath and met her gaze again.

 

“Jane,” he sighed, “You’re...dying.”

  
“What?” The voice came from behind him, a soft gasp in the silent room. Loki quickly rose, dropping the Queen’s hand and bowed to the figure in the doorway.

 

“Princess Aiko,” he murmured.

  
“What do you mean, Blue? Jane can’t die. She can’t!” Aiko was crying, fat tears rolling down her flushed, coffee cheeks.

  
Unthinking, Loki opened his arms to his daughter and pulled her into his chest. “Oh, my Child of Love. Please do not weep. With the help of Idunn and Eir, we can save her...I have hope. And that is what we must do. Jane never gave up her hope for me, and we will never give up our hope for her.” He held his child at arms length. “Promise me, Aiko. Promise us that you will never lose hope.”

  
Aiko sniffed, wiping her nose on her sleeve in a very, unlady-like manner. “I p-promise.” She turned from her father to her aunt, one of the two women that she was the closest to in all the world, and scooped the slightly smaller woman into her arms. “I love you, Jane. I don’t think I’ve said it enough. You’re the mother I always wanted.”

  
“Oh, thank you so much Aiko. You will always be my daughter - just don’t tell your father.” The woman chuckled. “And don’t worry. If anyone is going to fix me, it will be your Blue. Besides, I feel fine. No different than this morning.” She smiled.

  
“Lady Jane, may I escort you to the Healer’s Wing.” Loki offered the older mortal his lined blue arm.

  
Jane smile bravely, her eyes betraying her fear. “Of course, Blue. Thank you.”

  
The three family members made their way through the golden halls of the Asgardian palace, the light from the windows reflection off the precious metals that lined the walls and floors. Loki’s hooked toe-claws clacked along the slate floors, still drawing stares from the servants and lesser nobles in the palace. The Jotunn did not notice, however, his mind scrambling through it’s newly acquired memories to find a cure, a miracle, a prayer for Jane. By the time he had reached the Healer’s Wing, he had found nothing regarding mortal medicine, though his knowledge in that area was considerably lacking.

  
The three figures opened the doors to the wing, the hospital beds in neat rows, unoccupied, the healers sitting together at the far end of the hall, mending in the flickering firelight. The attentive women and men all looked up at the sound of the creaking hinges on their main doors. “My Ladies, my Lord!” Eir shot up from her place in the middle of the group and quickly wound her way through her apprentices and the lesser healers to reach the royal family. “I am so sorry for your loss, my Queen, Prince Loki, Princess Aiko.” The head healer gave them a shallow curtsy before embracing Jane and laying one of her soft hands on Aiko’s shoulder. Loki stood, watching the women unraveling around him, his own heart sinking through the floor.

  
“Thank you for your condolences, Lady Eir. They are greatly appreciated.” He leveled his gaze and the shorter woman. “We, however, have a few more pressing matters that need to be discussed. Is there a private room?”

  
The healer gave the Jotunn an uneasy glance, her eyes wary. “Of course, Milord. Right this way.” She walked with a purpose towards her private healing room, gestured the royals inside with a swift bow, and shut the door behind them with a resolute click. Ever the proper hostess, she offered the women and Frost Giant a seat before taking hers beside the healing table. “What can I help you with?”

  
Aiko slipped her hand into her father’s, giving him strength. Loki, in turn, offered his free claws to his sister-in-law, reassuring her with a small, serious smile and a squeeze of his fingers. Jane turned to the healer. “This morning, during the meetings with the women, when the All-Father was...” The smaller woman gulped and Loki gently squeezed her hand again. She nodded and continued, “Amora murdered Odin, spelled Thor to forget himself and plagued me, ridding me of my Aesir essence.”

  
The healer’s face became shocked. She reached her kind hands out and clasped the Queen’s thin hand. “My Queen, please get up on the table and we’ll have a look. Please, describe what else has happened?”

  
Jane hopped onto the table, one of her knees emitting a loud crackling sound as she did so, and lay down with a sigh. “As it was happening, I felt as if something was being forced out of body, like it was being sucked away. After Blue, sorry - Loki but Blue because Thor does not know who he is, stopped Amora, I felt awful, like I had been crushed by a great weight.”

  
Loki cut in, “Just moments ago, Jane said that she felt fine, so her body has readjusted to its current state. However, upon some probing with my seidr - all of it, I could not find a trace of dark magic. Instead, all I found were irregularly sized lumps throughout her body. Everywhere, Eir. I known not what they are and, upon further searching, none of the past All-Father’s know either.”

  
Eir’s seidr swarmed the table, projecting Jane’s body above her, bathing the room in a wash of warm, golden light. The strange lumps glowed with a strange, dark light and they coated every inch of the woman’s small body. The head healer gasped, her hands flying up to her mouth. “I know what this is,” she whispered softly.

  
“Can you heal it? Should we call for Lady Idunn? Can the apples help reverse it?” Aiko’s voice was shrill and frantic.

  
Eir’s face fell. “No. There is nothing I can do. Idunn’s apples may help delay the inevitable, but that is all I can promise. Lok-sorry, Blue and I will be able to concoct potions to ease the pain and the apples will keep the worst of it at bay, but...I am so sorry, my Queen.”

  
Jane was staring at the image projected above her, her eyes wide and terror-stricken. “C-cancer?” she breathed.

  
The Jotunn exhaled swiftly, the air squeezed from his lungs as Aiko’s tears began anew, her hot tears coating his shoulder and catching on his Mantle and Wings. He wrapped his cool arms around her shaking body, finally knowing why he was unable to find the magical source. Amora had returned Jane to her mortal state, the state she would have been in had she remained mortal. Her parents had both been claimed by cancer. Loki knew that he had heard the word before, but he did not associate it with what he had found - until now. The disease had spread too far, there was no stopping it’s disastrous and creeping motions. Jane was dying.

  
Ever the scientist, Jane asked the question everyone had been thinking. “How long?”

  
Eir, looked at the Queen sadly, and replied quietly and with a great amount of kindness, “I am not sure. It could be a day, a month, a year. I do not understand the course of this mortal disease, my Lady, only that yours is too far gone to treat. And that it is unfair that your mortality was returned to you. If that had never happened, you would not have had to worry about the cancer.”

  
Aiko looked up at her father, who was still holding her tightly, every so often pressing a tender kiss onto the top of her head. “Who’s going to tell Thor? Frigga?”

  
Loki’s head shot up, his ruby eyes wide. His brother was not in his right mind, even if he had made some progress earlier, it could be days before he was himself again. As for his mother, her grief was still too fresh. She would need time to recover before she learned the next set of ill news. Then there were the things that had transpired that would never be spoken of. “Not now,” he whispered, one of his hands offered to his Queen while the other stroked Aiko’s thick curtain of hair. “The King needs to be himself again and the All-Mother’s own loss is still too fresh. As for who will speak, Jane can decide when the time comes. It is her life and she will decide how to spend it.”

  
Jane, silent tears flowing down her shocked face as she hugged herself, her arms wrapped tightly around her ribcage. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice quivering.

  
“Jane.” The young god stood, offering his free arm to his sister-in-law. “We will get through this together. We will keep looking. The apples will help, I am sure.”

  
The Queen of Asgard did not enter her brother-in-law’s arms. Instead she took his hand in her surprisingly firm grasp. “Loki,” she said, her eyes carrying the seriousness of her views, “Do not blame yourself for this. Do not weep for what has not yet come to pass. You said that you would hope, and do not give up on that hope. But, instead of hoping for me, hope for my children - our children. I have lived a most wonderful life, thanks to my wonderful husband, and, more recently, thanks to you, my beautiful children. Mine, Loki. With my own blood, something that I had thought was lost to me, over twenty years ago. And they are beautiful, Loki. So beautiful, so perfect. They are my legacy: Daryn and Torsten and my research. Just promise me that you will care for them as if they were your own.”

  
Loki smiled, raising the smaller woman’s hand to his lips. “I swear to you, Lady Jane, that the little ones will be cared for as my own. I carried them for nine months, it has been incredibly difficult to not think of them as my own. Especially Torsten. He looks like me.”

  
Jane smiled. “Yes, he does. I just pray that he did not inherit your mischief as well as your looks.”

  
“Me too, my Queen.” Using the leverage he had over her hand, the Jotunn pulled the smaller woman into his chest. “We should go to bed and recover. Today has been a trying day for all of us and our grief is still to close.”

  
Jane and Aiko both nodded weakly, allowing the tall man to lead them from the private chamber, though the Healer’s Wing and back to their beds.


	78. Chapter 78

The next morning dawned cool and clear, the birds’ songs soft and sparse, many of the summer birds having flow to Vanaheim for the winter months. Loki rolled over in his nest to find his precious daughter slumbering peacefully in the pale light. His blue lips brushed her forehead before he slowly and carefully rolled from the bed. Aiko had had a rough day yesterday and she deserved to sleep.

  
Loki quickly went about his morning duties, brushing his fangs and hair, which was getting long and rather unruly. Maybe he’d cut it short, as short as it was before his Fall, but that was for another time. His morning toilet completed, the Jotunn briskly walked to the nursery, the crisp air filling his lungs and making him feel alive. It was the way he felt when he was on Jotunnheim, comfortable in the environment that surrounded him without the use of his ring or seidr.

  
When he opened the doors to the nursery, he was greeted by a rather unexpected sight and the stinging odor of ozone. Jane sat in the rocker, bottle feeding Torsten, smiling and humming warmly as he greedily consumed his breakfast. Thor was standing by the window, little Daryn in his muscular arms, feeding her happily as he watched the sunrise. The Jotunn bowed deeply as a sign of respect for his superiors, and, in the case of Thor’s memory loss, owners. “My King, my Queen. I am terribly sorry. I should have rose earlier to feed the little ones. I hope that they did not wake you.”

  
The statement was sincere, something that he hoped Jane would pick up on. She raised her head and smiled at him, so happy to be holding her son, the heir to the throne of Asgard. “No, they did not wake us, Blue. And you have earned some rest. I know that you fed them during the night, probably about three times.”

  
“Only twice, Milady,” he smiled in reply. “It was a pleasure.” The Queen’s smile took on an understanding quality, her own pleasure masking her deep sadness well.

  
The Jotunn, breasts full and leaking, set about finding his pumps. “I’ll just take these and go, then. Please let me know if you are in need of anything else. I will be with the Princess Aiko.”

  
“Thank you, Blue,” Jane called after the retreating figure of her brother-in-law before turning to her husband. He had been staring rather strangely at the new All-Father. Jane hoped that that meant that his memories were returning. The sooner he recovered, the better her final days would be.  
________________________________

  
Loki pumped alone in his sitting room, not wanting to wake his daughter, reflecting on what had just passed. Thor seemed to be recovering his memories little by little. The man that had practically raped him yesterday had not spoken a word and had blatantly stared at his hideous, yet miraculous body, never straying far from his chest region. Apparently, his brother was a ‘boob guy,’ as Fandral would say.

  
It still made Loki squirm, however, as he recalled his two near misses and how he had responded. It was as if his mind was very clearly his, with it’s rational thoughts of escape and the constant reminder that the King was his _brother_ and that he was very much not in his right mind. His body, on the other hand, could not get enough. It was as if he was in heat, craving the rough physical contact, the promise of more that the wandering hands offered, the feeling of Thor’s teeth on his neck and shoulders - where his life-mate would mark him as his and only his, and, lastly, and the worst part of all, the initiation of what could only have been the life-mate bond within his very soul. His gums still ached as he sat, alone in his own rooms, pumping away. He could still smell Thor, that strong, masculine scent of ozone mixed with the fresh scent of spring rain and the bite of lemon grass, his shampoo. No, he berated himself. _Thor is your brother, nothing more. You must have been hit with something yesterday, some spell. Nothing more. It will pass._

  
With his bosom empty and two very full bottles sitting on the coffee table, the Jotunn rose and bound himself before shrugging his favorite robe over his shoulders. In the events of yesterday, Loki realized that there was still one person that he needed to see, to comfort - Frigga. He quickly iced over the milk, preserving it until it could be stored in the ice chest in the nursery, and quickly left his rooms, robe flying behind him. _How could I be so self-centered, so self-driven? My poor mother! I can’t believe that I have left her alone in her grief. What kind of son am I?_

  
He rounded the corner to his Mother’s rooms to find that her door was firmly closed, two guards posted on either side. At the sight of the horned Jotunn, they snapped to attention, their spears leveling at his chest briefly, before raising them to attention again. “We’re sorry, my Lord. We were not aware that you would be coming to see the All-Mother.”

  
Loki nodded with understanding. These men were trained to kill a Jotunn on sight, the briefest flash of blue would set them on high alert. And he was one, a monster in the eyes of his people. “Understood,” he replied as he laid a clawed hand on the door knob, fighting against his anger at the disrespect he had just received. “Thank you for your vigilance in the protection of my mother.”

  
Not waiting or particularly wanting a reply, he turned the knob and slipped into his mother’s rooms. It was dim, the thick curtains were drawn against the bright promise of a new day, and the only light that infiltrated the room came from a low fire was burning in the fireplace, neglected and little more than embers. The Jotunn’s keen eyes scanned the sitting room warily, unsure of what he would find in the shadows. “Mother?” he stated, not projecting his rough voice as he took a few hesitant steps into the first chamber.

  
At first glance, it was empty, the All-Mother appeared to have retreated into her private rooms. Loki sighed morosely, a hand hesitantly stroking his horn. His claws clicked along the marble, transitioning flawlessly onto the carpeted sitting area, and back to the marble, recalling how much the All-Father had hated the sound, the reminder of the monster that resided within his gilded halls, the beast that his second son embodied.

  
The heavy oak door to Frigga’s private sitting room was closed, giving the Jotunn pause. He raised a single knuckle and rapped it on the smooth surface as he repeated, “Mother?” He scowled slightly when he received no acknowledgement from within the next room. He took a deep breath, pressed his open palm against the wood, and continued, “Mother, I just wanted to check on you, give you comfort as best I can. I can understand, however, if you would like to be alone. Please, let me know if I can help in any way. I will be in my rooms or the nursery.”

  
When no immediate response or acknowledgement of any sort came, he slowly turned to transverse the public sitting room. “Oh, Mother. I am so sorry,” he whispered to the emptiness, his hands coming up to rub his face, his callouses catching on the ridges of his cheeks and brow. The sensation made him growl softly, disgruntled by his appearance and frustrated that he was across the palace and could still smell his brother. He loathed this body and what it was doing to him. He gripped his horns firmly and gave them a rough tug, relishing in the pull as he released another soft growl.

  
“Loki? What are you doing?” The voice was soft and curious, not judgmental, but filled with a deep sadness. The Jotunn released his horns and scanned the room again, his eyes falling on the huddled figure in the far corner, shrouded in black, barely visible from her hiding place behind one of the thick, marble support pillars. She would have been invisible from the main doors, as was her plan, her youngest son speculated.

  
“Mother,” the prince sighed, and quickly traversed the room before lowering himself to the floor beside the woman in the shadows. She looked at him, tears falling silently from the corners of her stormy eyes, her bottom lip quivering. She stretched out a soft hand and caressed his lined cheek with it, giving a small smile. Reflexively, the Jotunn wrapped his cool arms about her black-robed body, his chilly breath falling onto her tear-stained cheek.

  
The pair did not say anything, they just sat on the hard, cold stone and held each other, sharing their grief for the man that had been her life and had shaped his. Neither minded that their contrasting body temperatures were making them exceedingly uncomfortable, in a constant state of scalding or freezing. Neither noticed the hardness of the floor, the wall, the pillar, or the tightness of the corner they sat in. What they shared was their closeness and they reveled in it. It reminded them that they were not alone, they were loved, they were wanted.

  
Over an hour had passed and Frigga’s tears had dried up, her tear ducts no longer able to produce the salty liquid. Loki’s face was coated in trails of ice, his tears had also run their course. Loki stroked his mother’s hair, his claws pulling gently at the knots within the blonde, wavy curtain. The All-Mother shivered. The Jotunn, a sinking feeling in his stomach, released his hold on his mother and scooted away from her, removing his robe and offering it to the woman in black. Her face was pale, her lips even paler. Frost bite covered her exposed skin, making Loki loath his form even more. Frigga smiled sadly and took the proffered robe, wrapping it around her shoulders. Her youngest child grabbed her hand and pulsed some of his seidr into her cold body, healing the hurt that he had caused her. The All-Mother took his Clawed hand in both of hers, her grey eyes meeting his ruby ones. “Thank you, my son,” she whispered, squeezing her child’s hand.

  
“Mother,” the Jotunn said again, his head bowed in his shame for hurting her instead of comforting her.

  
“Loki.” A warming hand released his claws and touched his cheek, causing him to flinch away from the contact. “Don’t do this to yourself. You have brought me such comfort, do not be angry over something you cannot control.”

  
“I hurt you.” His voice was small. Frigga stroked his cheek lovingly.

  
“Why do I feel like there is more to this than just a little frost bite?” The woman gave a small chuckle. “You may be the God of Lies, Loki, but I am your mother and I can tell when something is bothering you.”

  
The Jotunn tilted his head up, his starling blood red eyes scanning the woman’s face. “You don’t want to know. It’s just been a rough couple of days, that’s all.” He sighed, wrapping his arms around his knees in an attempt to comfort himself. A position familiar to his body, having spent many hours curled in on himself in his cell on Midgard.

  
“I _want_ to know. Please, let me help you. I am still All-Mother, am I not? You were not meant to shoulder your title alone.” She smiled at him lovingly and knowingly. She had seen her husband try to face his demons alone and fail, overwhelmed and frustrated.

  
The All-Father swallowed audibly. “It’s just so much, Mother. Too much too soon. Odin was murdered and I have yet to bring the killer to trial. That same woman has stolen Jane’s Aesir essence. She is mortal and aged and...dying of cancer. Thor doesn’t know because he has barely remembered that she is his wife!” He paused, memories of yesterday flooding his mind. An internal struggle ensued before he ultimately opted to share his burden with the woman opposite him. “Mother, Thor attempted to rape me - twice before my de-spelling took a firm enough hold.”

  
“Oh, Loki!” Frigga slid closer to her son, placing her hands on either side of his handsome, azure face, the face she knew he hated.   
The young god held up a hand, setting over his mother’s smaller, warmer one. “That is not all.” He closed his eyes before opening them to refocus on her startled and worried face. “I can _smell_ him. _Everywhere_. Do you know what this means?”

  
The goddess brow was furrowed, confusion and pain over her child’s suffering at the hand of her other son. Slowly, she shook her head.

  
“That means that I have found my life-mate,” he sighed. “The sexual acts awoke the bond within me. A bond that never should have been established.” He stopped, biting his lips and shutting his eyes against the feeling of tears that clogged his throat and pricked at his ruby orbs. “And it’s my brother. My _brother_. Who is married to a wonderful woman who is _DYING_ and I have no way to stop it from happening. I am so torn, so confused. I don’t know what to do!” His hands found his horns, gripping their bases tightly. “I don’t know what to do.” The final statement came out as a soft moan.

  
Frigga did not respond, still processing the information her youngest had just offered her. Her oldest son, not in his right mind, had assaulted his younger brother out of lust, a sentiment that had awoken an ancient need within the Jotunn, a destiny and a need to be with the one person that completed him. Her daughter-in-law was dying from a mortal disease that was so advanced, no medicine on any world would stop it or reverse it. Her eldest would be devastated, so would her youngest, though he would be free to pursue the other man once Jane had passed. Same sex couples were frowned upon in Asgard and incest was not tolerated but she just wanted both of her children to be happy and to live fulfilling lives.

  
She inhaled sharply. The children! Those two precious babies, raised without a mother, a mother who had struggled for years to have her own children.

  
Her grey, stormy eyes, were confused and overwhelmed, and, through everything else, loving. “Loki. My baby boy.” She wrapped her arms around his cool frame. “Everything will be alright. Thor will recover his memories and he will be haunted by what he did to you. He will learn of Jane and her cancer. And I will support you in whatever decision you make. You do not need to figure out what you’re going to do now. Take your time and know that I will love you, no matter what.”

  
The man sniffled. “I need to save Jane,” he breathed. “That is what I need to do. For Thor. For the babies.”

  
Frigga smiled sadly. It was so very like her reborn child, to place the happiness of others before his own. Judging by the resurgence of self-loathing that was being displayed by her youngest, he did not feel like he deserved happiness, to be loved so intimately by another. If Jane died, he felt that he would give in to his bodily needs, desires that he was terrified of, desires that were animalistic, barbaric, frowned upon in the society in which he lived.

  
“We will try our best to do just that,” the All-Mother promised. “I will help you.”


	79. Chapter 79

The Jotunn was pouring through his books, pausing only to scan through his newly acquired memories. His search was frantic, desperate. His brother was becoming more and more aware. He had yet to make the connection between his criminally minded brother and his blue, horned servant, but Loki knew it was coming and, when it did, more things would come to light. Thor had already remembered adopting Aiko, marrying Jane and the birth of his children. This morning, he had recalled the death of Odin in perfect detail, except the reason why they had all gathered. Truly, the only remaining gap was the one revolving around his punishment and subsequent return to his true form.

  
A soft knock sounded on his door. Loki’s horned head snapped up, his ruby eyes boring holes into the thick black walnut. “Come in,” he called, drawing his cloak about his azure frame in a poor attempt to protect his modesty, modesty that had been compromised repeatedly. The door creaked slowly open, the person behind it hesitating, his large footsteps sounding heavily on the marbled floor. The large, blonde frame of his brother, accompanied by a fresh wave of ozone, entered his chambers, shutting the door firmly behind him.

  
Loki rose and gave the King a deep bow. “My King. How may I be of assistance?” Though he could hear the older man turn away from the door, he kept his head bowed, his eyes trained on the floor. His sensitive ears heard his brother take a few steps forward, unsure and rather unsteady before he stopped with a heavy sigh. Still, the Jotunn did not move.

  
“All-Father.” The statement was all Loki needed to hear. He slowly rose from his bow, his eyes finding the other man directly opposite him.

  
Thor was kneeling, his head bowed in such a way that his hair, unruly as usual, fell across his face. Though his face was hidden, his body betrayed him, his shoulders shaking under an invisible, yet no less heavy, burden.

  
The prince regarded his brother, the strongest man that he knew, reduced to a kneeling, sobbing, shrunken shadow of his former self. At one time, this was exactly what Loki had wanted - the only thing he had ever wanted, and now, it just felt so wrong. Pity, sadness, and a deep, overwhelming love flooded through the younger god and he slowly, but steadily walked to meet the other man. He stopped short about a foot away and offered his Clawed hand. “Brother,” he breathed. “You kneel to no one.”

  
Thor’s face turned away from the floor and up towards the regal visage that towered over him. His eyes were a shockingly pure blue, like the perfect summer sky, their color only emphasized by the redness that ringed them and the rivulets that cut across his cheeks and into his beard. The kneeling man gasped through his sobbing, a look of amazement flashing across his features as he heard the statement from the other man and saw the love that resided in that royal, ridged face.

  
Impatiently, Loki shook his proffered hand, pulling the other man’s focus down to it. Slowly, as if it threatened to burn him, the God of Thunder grasped the hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. “Please, my King, have a seat.” The hand was delicately extracted from the Thunderer’s grasp and placed gently on his shoulder, steering the well-muscled man to an arm chair.

  
Loki sat opposite Thor, his eyes scanning the other man’s face and body before asking, “Do you know who I am?”

  
The answer was thick, forced through unshed tears. “Yes.” The other man sniffled. “You are Loki Laufeyson, All-Father to the Nine, and my younger brother.” His body collapsed into more violent sobs and the blonde head fell into the large pair of hands that accompanied it.

  
Loki, breathing in the scent of ozone and rain, made no move to comfort the other man. Instead, he took a deep breath and said, “Thor. You need to be reasonable. Nothing that has transpired in the last few days has been your fault. You have not been in your right mind.”

  
The other man seemed to lose it further, making the Jotunn’s mouth contract into a thin, straight line. He slowly rose, swiped a handkerchief off of a nearby table and offered it to the distraught man in his arm chair. Thor took it eagerly, blowing his nose in a rather un-kingly manner before taking a few, calming deep breaths. His breathing a bit more settled and his eyes mostly dry, the King of Asgard looked at the blue figure that sat opposite him. “I know that there is nothing I can do to take back what I have done to you, but I can offer my deepest apologies. I am so sorry, Loki. I wish it had never happened.”

  
The Jotunn looked away and responded, under his breath, “That makes two of us.” In a louder, more audible voice, he replied, “What’s done is done, Brother. There is naught to be done now that it has passed.”

  
He fixed his hardened ruby eyes on the blonde man. “We have much that needs to be discussed. There is much you have missed in your...absence.”

  
Thor nodded slowly, understanding that he had very much neglected his duties, again feeling awful. He was certain that, not only had his brother allowed him to be used and abused by him, but Loki had also carried on his royal duties, acting as King in his time of neglect. He wondered when his younger sibling had slept last, his azure skin unable to betray the bags that must have been present under those ruby eyes.

  
“Firstly, and by far the most important: the enchantress, Amora. She was tried two days ago and found guilty of murdering the All-Father, as well as attempting to kill Jane Foster, Queen of Asgard, and using dark magic on you, the King of Asgard. For punishment for her crimes, she was submitted to a thorough mental probing, provided by yours truly, to discover the source of her power and then the total stripping of her dark seidr. She is currently receiving a taste of her own medicine. She is a mortal now, all memories of Asgard have been removed, and she is living under the watchful eyes of our good friends, the Avengers, as an intern at Avengers Tower. I believe that she will be happy there and she will not be able to harm anyone in her current state.”

  
Thor looked at his brother, a peculiar look in his eye. “You - you let her live?”

  
“Yes,” Loki breathed. Her memories were painful to witness, similar in a way to his past. She was an unwanted child, a female in a society where only the male had true rights, and she was the only child her mother gave her father, as the woman had died in childbirth and her father had remarried to a woman who had provided him with an heir as well as another, more beautiful sister. She had been sent to boarding school, where she fell in with a rather bad crowd. It was at school where she had learned of the existence of her seidr as well as the existence of dark magic. She had read similar texts to those that Loki had read when his interests lay there. Afterwards, she had traveled to Svartalfheim and was taught by the remaining Dark Elves. That had explained _why_ he had never seen the spells the enchantress had used. And now, for better or worse, the knowledge was lost.

  
“That is very...unexpected of you,” Thor responded, a new light of respect in his eyes. “I would have had her killed.”

  
“Yes,” Loki smirked, “That I do not doubt. I nearly ruled that but then I remembered a much wiser ruler than I had allowed a mass murderer, with very little remorse or regret, to live to learn from his mistakes. To become a better man. Everyone deserves that second chance. There will not be a third.” His lips fell back into a tight, thin line, determined.

  
“That seems to be a just ruling.” Thor’s expression was an odd mixture of respect, awe, self-loathing, and love. Loki smiled sadly at his sibling, understanding where he was coming from. And the worst part, his brother did not even know the half of it. He knew nothing of Jane and would _never_ discover his instigation of his younger sibling’s life-mate bond.

  
“Thank you, Brother. Here’s to more second chances in the future. Hopefully, we’ll be able to decide on such pressing matters together in that time.” He smiled, unable to restrain himself. The overwhelming scent of his brother was making him rather heady and unfocused.

  
“Hopefully, we will not have such pressing matters in the future. It is my dream that we will bring about an age of peace and prosperity, you and I.” The King smiled warmly for a split second, until his face fell, regret permeating his features. “Or at least I did, until...”

  
Loki held up a hand, stopping the God of Thunder from falling into self-hatred and wallowing in that dark place that he, himself was so familiar with. Thor did not belong in that dark place with the monsters and beasts of the shadows. “Thor, please, do not upset yourself over what happened. I am _fine_. A bit shaken, yes, but _fine_. We did not do anything. In fact, you never passed second base. The old you would be very disappointed in your efforts.” He chuckled, despite the conflicting emotions that were coursing through his veins.

  
Thor gave a small smile, a little reassured but still a little unsure.

  
“Come, Brother. I am sure that Mother will be delighted to hear that you are back to yourself, Jane as well.”  
________________________________

  
**Five Weeks Later**

  
The royal family sat at dinner, glad to be together and whole once more. Or, as Loki looked over at Jane, as whole as they could be. He was frustrated by his continued lack of knowledge regarding her disease or any means of curing it. Despite her seemingly perfect health as she chatted away with Aiko about her day at school or to Frigga about her most recent discovery about the Void, Jane was growing more ill by the day, by the hour even. Idunn had been supplying the Queen with golden apples, which Jane ate religiously every morning for breakfast. They had de-aged her, each apple removing approximately two years, so the woman looked young, nearly as young as she had been when she had married Thor. Unfortunately, the healing properties of the apples had done nothing against the disease, which made the Jotunn think that it was not entire natural. Another trick of Amora’s, the knowledge erased from her memory and the Dark Elves that concocted it, destroyed.

  
It pained Loki to see her so happy, having finally received everything she had ever wanted, only to have the threat of imminent death hanging over her head. She was handling it well. Thor, on the other hand, was not. The God of Thunder would not let the woman out of his sight, or so it seemed, for fear of losing her when he was not there. Jane, in her goodness, did not let her frustration with her husband show, but Loki knew that it was there. And he knew that Jane did not appreciate being coddled.

  
Suddenly, the Queen of Asgard’s vibrant eyes glazed over and rolled back into her head. She slumped sideways, falling gracelessly into Thor’s broad shoulder.

  
“Jane?” Thor asked, turning and catching her limp body as she continued to slide from her chair. Aiko screamed, causing the babies to cry. Loki leapt from his seat across the table from the couple and raced to his sister-in-law’s side. Frigga mirrored the action, meeting her youngest son there.

  
“Thor,” Loki stated as his brother shook Jane and called her name. “THOR!” He resorted to roaring, his strange Jotunn voice carrying the extra weight of added seidr.

  
His now hysterical King stopped his shouting and stilled his shaking to look at the horned man beside him. His eyes were wide and desperate. “Brother?” he asked quietly.

  
“Thor,” Loki commanded, his voice carrying an impressive amount of power. “You and Aiko will take the children to the nursery. Calm them. Aiko,” He shifted his ruby eyes to his daughter’s shocked face, “You will remain with them. Please.” She nodded, sadness flooding her features as she turned to collect Torsten and Daryn.

  
The Jotunn’s unsettling gaze shifted back to his brother. “Once the little ones are calm, please join us in the Healer’s Wing.”

  
Thor gulped but nodded all the same. Tenderly, he bent and kissed his wife’s brow, brushing her long brown hair away from her face, and slowly he shifted her weight from his arms to those of his brother. His wide, blue eyes met the reassuring ruby ones of the All-Father before he nodded and took one of his precious children from his niece. Loki watched the pair of them exit the room before picking up the Queen as if she weighed nothing. She was incredibly light, shockingly so, but his light burden allowed him to make quick time.

  
Eir, spotting the small, fragile woman in the Jotunn’s arms as soon as he entered the room, quickly ushered the All-Father, All-Mother, and Queen into her private antechamber. Carefully, and without too much jostling, Loki placed Jane upon the healer’s table. His eyes scanned the projection that rose above his sister-in-law, noticing the increased number of lumps throughout her body, but most prominently, in her brain. There was an unnatural darkness that had begun to swirl within the larger tumors, eating away at the frail woman from the inside.

  
Frigga grasped his cool hand tightly, squeezing it almost painfully. The Chief Healer gasped, her eyes going wide with shock at the sight. She had been as unsuccessful as the two most powerful sorcerers in all the Nine at staying the disease and was obviously shocked by it’s rapid regeneration. Loki stood, seeing, but not what was before him. He scanned, digging further and further back into the gift that Odin had left him. Hoping, praying to find something, anything. Any potion, any spell.

  
Below him, on the table, Jane stabilized. Her brown eyes flickered open and she groaned, reaching up to hold her suddenly spinning head. “WhereamI?” she mumbled, her words slurred.

 

Eir laid a kind hand on her shoulder. “You are in the Healer’s Wing, Your Majesty. We will take care of you.”

  
“Where’sThor?” Jane tried to sit up, causing Frigga to move to her other side and gently remind her daughter-in-law to remain still.

  
“He will be coming, my Darling. He is just putting the babies down for their nap. Then he will be right here. I promise.” Frigga’s eyes met Eir’s. The healer gave a small, sad shake to her head.

  
“Not long now, Milady.” Her response was ambiguous but both Frigga and Loki understood. Jane was actively dying, whether she was aware of it or not. The Jotunn began to dig more frantically while the All-Mother’s bottom lip began to quiver slightly. Jane moaned, holding her head and writhing about the bed. An alarm sounded as her heart rate spiked and her body temperature rose rapidly.

  
Loki was scrambling now, desperate to not leave those babies without a parent, to not leave his brother alone. Ozone, always a faint presence in the last few months, became more prominent and was quickly joined by the sound of running feet in heavy leather boots. When Thor entered the room, Loki quickly focused on him before closing his eyes and forcing himself to concentrate. Those blue eyes, usually so vibrant, had been so dead the last few weeks, knowing the inevitable was coming, and dreading it. Now, when those orbs had found Jane thrashing on the table, they had become alive with panic and desperation. There had to be something, anything, to fix this.

  
The Jotunn inhaled sharply with a loud gasp. His ruby eyes snapped open. _There_. “Mother,” he said quietly, beckoning the other woman over to him. Frigga, her face, a mixture of curious and worried, hurried to him. “I may have a solution, though it is far from ideal. Jane may refuse.”

  
“You should offer it any way, Loki. The worse thing that can happen is she says no.” Frigga rubbed his arm reassuringly, stimulating his Jotunn Ridges. The All-Father turned to the table, finding Jane in a stable condition, Thor holding her lovingly in his arms.

  
He cleared his throat and swallowed, stalling, before reminding himself that there was no time to procrastinate. “Thor, Jane.” The couple looked at him, their faces a strange array of emotion. “I may have found a solution.”

  
Thor’s face lit up, elated. Jane looked at him in shock, so resigned to her fate that she had given up hope.

  
Loki continued. “It is far from ideal but it will allow Jane to live and it would allow Thor to remain in her life. It will eliminate the cancer and keep it from returning.”

 

“Well,” Thor practically yelled, “What is it, Brother?”

  
Loki looked at the pair and their perfect love story and became morose. They would lose nothing and everything with his plan. “I have uncovered a spell that will allow me to de-age Jane. If I make her young enough, the cancer will retreat.”

  
“That is wonderful news!” Thor exclaimed. “Right, Jane! You will be well again!”

  
Jane, as was typical, was more skeptical. “What is the downside, Loki?”

  
“I would have to make you incredibly young, Jane. You would lose your memories. You would be starting from scratch as a child. You would be mortal. That can be fixed, however, with a binding ceremony.”

  
“I cannot marry a child, Loki,” Thor said, looking crestfallen.

  
“No,” Loki responded sadly. “Nor do I advise you to do so. Without her memories, Jane could grow to be a completely different person with a different future. What you can do, Thor, is you can adopt her, as I did Aiko. She would take on your Aesir essence and become Asgardian, free from disease and free to live here, beside you, but not with you. Do you understand?”

  
Thor nodded dumbly. Jane was staring in shock at her brother-in-law. “I understand that it is not ideal. Ultimately, it is Jane’s choice. It is her life and, unfortunately, it appears to be our only option.”

  
The royal family lingered in silence for a while, Thor stroking Jane’s sweat-coated brow as she stared blankly at the wall. Frigga stood respectfully at her daughter-in-law’s other side, a kind smile playing at her lips as she looked at her oldest son and the love of his life in what could be their final moments. Loki remain where he was, feeling very much like an unwanted outsider in the picture of familial bliss that Thor and Jane had created.

  
As the time passed, Jane began to slump, her weight being supported more and more by her husband. Quietly, she whispered, “Loki.”

  
The Jotunn drew near to the healer’s table, his face reserved. “Yes, Jane. I am here.” He took one of her limp hands in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

  
“I do not want this,” she said before her body convulsed, wracked with a fit of coughing that drew blood, startlingly crimson, from her lungs. Thor held her closer to his broad chest, whispering words of comfort into her ears.

  
As the fit subsided, Jane rolled her head up, exhausted, to look at her brother-in-law again. “I do not want to lose what I have.”

  
Loki smiled sadly. He had known that Jane would reject his offer. She cared for his brother and their children too much to let go of that life, even for the promise of a new one. “I understand, Jane.” He bent and kissed her searing hot cheek, his cool breath and lips making her shudder. “I do love you Jane. Very much.”

  
“Take care of them for me. Especially Thor. He won’t understand.”

  
The All-Father placed his fist over his heart, making his promise while biting his lower lip to hide his growing sadness. The small woman smiled weakly before slowly turning her head to look at her husband’s devastated face. “Thor...” It sounded like a breath, barely forming a word. Her exhausted brown eyes blinked sluggishly before they slowly closed. Her breathing became shallow, her breath catching in her chest as she coughed again.

  
“Jane, Jane, JANE!” Thor moaned rocking his wife back and forth.

  
“Thor,” Frigga rested her hand on her son’s shoulder. “Don’t shake her, please. Let her be and let her know that you love her. That is all we can do now.”

  
The God of Thunder’s blue eyes looked up at his mother, lost. His gaze fell to the face of his beautiful wife as she flinched and struggled for breath. The projection above the Queen revealed the black, poisonous substance, oozing from the lumps and working its way towards her heart and her brain. Loki watched it, unable to look at the woman that it belonged to, a sense of loss and dread flooding him and settling into his chest.

  
Eir, also seeing the progression of the disease, whispered kindly, “Her suffering will be over soon. We should be thankful that the end came quickly.”

  
The King of Asgard’s body began to shake as he sobbed, moaning his love’s name as he looked at her face. “Nonononono.” His eyes, a starling and wide blue, as they met Loki’s somber ruby pair. “Fix this, Loki.” His lip quivered. “ _Please_.”

  
“Thor,” Loki set his hand gently on the larger man’s shoulder. “I do not want to go against Jane’s wishes.”

  
“But...but...I love her.” The statement was a low whisper, the god’s morose visage focusing on his wife’s trembling form. “I - I can’t live without her. I can’t live without her, even if she doesn’t remember me. Loki, do it! She won’t know. Please, Brother. Please save her.”

  
His eyes were desperate, imploring. His large hand grasped the other man’s arm fiercely. Loki, frightened by the passion that his sibling was showing, shook his head. “Jane-”

  
Thor cut him off, his eyes getting a crazed gleam in them. “I can’t watch her die like this, Loki! She doesn’t deserve this! HELP HER!”

  
Loki’s eyes left his brother’s and shifted to Frigga’s. The woman seemed to be as passionate about the subject as Thor, though she was trying harder to hide it. The All-Mother did not want to watch the woman die either, even though, like Loki, she knew what could happen between her sons when Jane passed. She nodded once, an enormous amount of sadness on her face.

  
The Jotunn was torn between what his sister-in-law wanted, what he desired, and what his brother clung to. Stealing himself, he whispered, “Thor, forgive me,” and walked firmly from the room. He tried to ignore the shouting from his brother, the crying from his mother, and focused only on his own heartbeat, accented by the clack of his claws.

  
_Jane, I am holding to your wishes. Jane, please forgive me for hurting Thor. Jane, I will keep my promise. I will love those children like they are my own. I will comfort Thor and love him, even as he continues to cling to you and your memory. I promise, Jane, that your children will know of you and will know of your science and your bravery and your loyal love. I promise that Thor will be happy again one day. I will make it so, Sister. I promise._

  
The door to the private healing room swung shut behind him, coming together with a faint click, cutting off his sibling’s vocal protests. Silently, very much aware of the eyes that followed him but not caring in the least, Loki slid to the floor along the white wall. His knees rose and his arms automatically wrapped around his knees, his hands grasping his horns tightly, grounding him. It was only in that close, confined comfort, one that he had found himself in so many times during his imprisonment, that he let the tears fall. His breathing was ragged and it shook his body uncontrollably. The grief washed over him, through him, and the Jotunn let it consume him for the time being. He knew that he would not have the option later. He had to be strong. For Aiko who loved Jane like a mother, for Frigga who had always wanted a little girl and had received it in the form of her son’s wife, for the babies who wouldn’t even know who they had just lost forever. For Thor. Thor, who would be devastated.

  
Loki was unsure of how long he sat there. His tears had spent themselves and yet, his family still had not left the private room. Worried and anxious and emotionally exhausted, the Jotunn slowly stood, rapidly scraping the tears from his ridged face and arms, and slowly reentered the room.

  
Thor was quiet, murmuring the mantra of “I love you” to the woman who lay in his lap. Frigga held her eldest child’s shoulders, rubbing his back in silence as tears flowed down her beautiful face. That was when Loki knew that Jane was gone.

  
“Godspeed you to Valhalla, Jane Foster. You have fought bravely, but now it is time to lay down your arms and enter the rewards of eternal paradise,” he whispered, letting his prayers be known to the Valkyrie, the invisible yet present guardians of the souls.

  
Steadfastly, the Jotunn clicked across the floor, nodding to Eir, who had turned off the projection and had begun to arrange candles around the table. The woman spoke softly to the All-Father. “We will watch and prepare the body, My Lord. There is no need for His Majesty to stay here - not with the little ones.”

  
“Thank you,” Loki murmured, placing his hand briefly on the woman’s shoulder. He turned to his brother. “Thor.”

  
The other man did not so much as look up, his bride, pale against his tan skin, clutched in his arms. The Chief Advisor tried a new tactic. “Mother.”

  
Frigga instantly looked up, seeing her youngest son’s earnest face, traces of ice still clinging to parts of his Bergelmir’s Tears. She nodded, wiping her own tears away before giving her other child a gentle shake. “Thor. Loki is here and we are going to bring you to your rooms now, alright?”

  
The God of Thunder nodded dumbly, his tears falling on to Jane’s still face, washing away the blood she had coughed up and the sweat that had formed along her brow. Reverently, the King of Asgard raised his Queen to his lips, kissing her pale forehead, cheeks, nose, and finally, mouth, each sign of love even more tender than the last. Sighing, he laid his wife in state, fixing her robes and attempting to brush her hair before moving away from the table, his hands dangling empty, useless at his sides. Frigga took one, clasping it firmly, and nudged him towards the door.

  
“Wait, Thor,” Loki called after him. The blonde man stopped and turned around. “Please, got to my sitting room. We should make the proper arrangements for tomorrow. Also, I can care for the little ones tonight. You should get your rest.” The larger man nodded dumbly and made his way out the door.

  
The Jotunn sighed, looking at the All-Mother, the feeling of exhaustion from the emotional rollercoaster he had just been a part of as well as the release of such a large amount of seidr washed through him. “Did I make the right decision?” 

Frigga smiled, confident love radiating from her being. “It may not seem so right now, Loki, but you are a wise leader. Jane knew that. It will all work itself out in the end.”


	80. Chapter 80

Thor, Aiko, Frigga, and Loki all sat facing one another in the emerald and gold sitting room in Bilskirnir. They were all exhausted from their evening and this family meeting was dragging onward for what seemed like ages. Loki had already tended to the babies twice since Aiko had removed them from the dinner table. The last time, about an hour ago, the Jotunn had placed the slumbering twins into a bassinet and had brought them to his chambers. He’d have to get up in a couple of hours to feed them again anyway, they had might as well be in reach.

  
Thor had become more and more agitated and withdrawn as the evening progressed. The funeral arrangements had come together quickly. Messengers to Midgard had been sent out, the Avengers and SHIELD had been informed, as well as Erik Selvig and Darcy Lewis, Jane’s two closest friends. Jane’s beautiful wedding gown would be the her final dress. Her pyre would be released at sunset and Thor would wield Gungnir, turning his wife’s remains into starlight.

  
Frigga, seeing that her son was struggling, rubbed his back gently and asked, “Are you sure you’re alright, Honey? We could stay with you tonight.”

  
“I’m fine,” Thor huffed crossing his muscular arms over his thick chest. “Are we done? I would like some time alone.”

  
“Yes,” Frigga replied kindly, “we are done.” The King of Asgard quickly rose and strode purposefully towards the door.

  
“Thor,” Loki said quietly. The pounding footsteps stopped, the beefy hand rested on the door knob. “I will watch the little ones tonight. You know where to find us if you need anything.”

  
The large, blonde man slowly turned and whispered, “No.” He returned to the seated circle of his family and carefully picked up the bassinet. “I will take care of them this evening. Thank you, Brother.” And, with that, the God of Thunder left the room.  
____________________________________

  
It was some hours later when Loki finally crawled into the soft confines of his bed. Aiko had gone to sleep hours ago, wrapped in a blanket of thick wool, her beautiful chocolate hair splayed across the pillows above her serene face. The Jotunn smiled at his precious gift, swallowing back the guilt he felt for having her in his life while his brother had lost Jane. Carefully, so as to not wake his child, he wrapped his strong arms around her body and pulled her close to him, kissing the top of her head and inhaling her sweet scent. “I love you, my Child of Love,” he murmured, his cold breath disturbing her hair. “Please don’t ever leave me.”

  
The woman murmured a bit in her sleep and buried her head into his chest, her heat mingling with his coolness, comforting both of them.   
______________________________________  
The purring was strange, Thor had to admit as he made his way from the nursery, the babies bawling uncontrollably, and into his brother’s rooms. He had not wanted to come. He had wanted to wallow in his own misery and grief, for losing Jane, the one person who meant everything to him. Now, he was alone, playing single parent to two children under the age of one, and he was utterly inept.

  
Loki, for all his villainy and insecurities, was surprisingly wonderful with children. He always seemed to know what was needed, when. Which is what had brought the exhausted God of Thunder to his sibling’s rooms during the early hours of the morning. He had tried feeding the crying twins but they did not appear to be hungry. He had changed them and yet, they continued to cry. He didn’t know what to do, and he didn’t have his wife there to tell him that everything would be alright, the he was a fine father, that the babies were being fussy because they could be.

  
Carefully, Thor wound his way through his brother’s sitting room, navigating slowly through the darkness towards the deep rumbling that rang through the rooms and into the hallway beyond. He wondered, not for the first time, how Aiko could sleep with that racket. She claimed that it had begun as a rare occurrence, occurring when the Jotunn was exhausted and in need of a deep, relaxing sleep. Their last conversation about it led to the conclusion that it was a comfort mechanism for the babies. Now the God of Thunder was thinking that it was his sibling’s version of a rather obnoxious snore. How very like Loki.

  
Not wanting to wake his niece, the King of Asgard opened the bedroom door softly and stepped inside. The round, bowl-like bed was occupied by two figures, illuminated by the soft light of the moon that drifted in through a gap in the curtains. His brother was easy to find, his large, curving horns rolling off the edge of the bed and glinting dully in the moonlight. His blue skin, rough to the touch, seemed almost ice-like, the Jotunn ridges were like ripples on the still, frozen water, beautiful.

  
The King of Asgard suddenly felt rather uncomfortable, sneaking into his brother’s bedroom at night. The two of them had done it many times in their youth, though it was usually Loki who would come to Thor, his tiny feet pattering along the marbled floors to cuddle close to his older brother who would save him from the Frost Giants. How times had changed. How strange and cruel life was. Taking a deep breath, the older god reached his large hand forward and placed it gently on his younger sibling’s cold shoulder.

  
The purring stuttered on contact and Thor held his breath, worried. There was an Aesir saying, “Never wake a sleeping Jotunn,” and he was attempting to do just that. The horned head rolled slowly towards the hand that rested on the Mantle of his right shoulder. The purring shifted to an exhausted hum that became a soft huff of cool air. The ruby eyes, blinked and rolled up, catching the outline of the larger god in the moonlight.

  
“Thor?” The Jotunn’s voice was raspy with sleep. He shifted, carefully extracting his thinly muscled arms from around the sleeping form of his daughter. “Do you need help, Brother?”

  
Thor exhaled, pleased that he still had all of his body parts attached, and solemnly nodded. Loki gave his sibling a small smile and slowly began to get out of bed, trying to keep from jostling his child into wakefulness. Aiko, losing her cool body pillow, rolled onto her back with a soft murmur before falling back into a deeper sleep. Freed from the sheets and the pillows, the Jotunn leaned down and kissed his beautiful daughter’s brow. He grabbed his bathrobe and threw it about his shoulders and walked past his brother towards the door.

  
As soon as the pair left the bed chamber and the door was shut quietly, but firmly behind them, the younger brother turned to a disgruntled Thor and crossed his arms tightly over his chest. “What can I help you with, Thor?”

  
The king sighed, rubbing his face with his large hands. “The little ones are crying and I don’t know what to do. I am just exhausted and I’ve tried everything and I’m just an awful parent. I can’t do this alone, Loki. I never thought I would.”

  
Loki placed a clawed hand on his brother’s shoulder, comforting the larger man. “Brother. You are not alone. You will _never_ be alone. I am here to help you, as are Aiko and Mother. We will get through this _together_.”

  
His brother gave a small nod, biting his lower lip. The Jotunn’s heart broke. The King of Asgard was the strongest man that he knew. It was difficult to watch the warrior crumble under his desperation and his despair.

  
Loki smiled, his classic mischief shining through, as he jokingly punched his brother on his arm and asked, “Are you _sure_ they’re not hungry, Thor?”

  
The king snorted once before his face fell back into it’s rather morose expression. “Okay, okay. Let’s get them back to sleep, shall we?” The blue man headed for the door, his sharp ears hearing the mewling from the twins across the hall.

  
He opened the door and quickly rushed to Daryn, by far the most vocal and commanding of the two and picked her up, murmuring to her and bouncing her gently on his hip. Much to Thor’s dismay, his daughter quickly stopped crying and smiled, her face lighting up as she looked up at her uncle, her fists gripping tightly to his emerald silk robe. His brother smiled back at the little girl, a soft purr rumbling in his chest.

  
Loki shot his brother a sly look, jerking his head towards the still occupied crib with the still bawling child. The King looked rather unsure. “Come on, Thor. They just want attention. Just hold him and tell him how wonderful his and how he will be the perfect heir. That’s all he needs.”

  
Hesitantly, the larger god gingerly picked up his son and sloppily attempted to copy his brother, much to Loki’s amusement. It did work, however, as Torsten began to coo in response to the rough rocking he was receiving from his father. The contented babies quieted quickly, giggling and relishing in the contact.

  
Slowly, the little ones yawned and almost seemed to nod off only to begin their soft, whiny mewling. The Jotunn sighed. “They’re hungry. Notice how the cry is different? Softer and rather pathetic. I’ve got this.” He carefully handed Daryn to his brother, who looked uncomfortable as he juggled both crying infants. The image caused the younger man to snort, the little ones grabbing his brother’s long hair yanking it mercilessly as they nuzzled his neck and chest, looking for the source of their food.

  
“OW!” Thor yowled. “Let go, let go!”

  
Loki was laughing heartily now. His brother was the opposite of domestic bliss, but it warmed the Jotunn’s heart to see him happily joking with his tiny bundles of joy. His claws speedily unwound the bandage around his chest, allowing his bosom to fall out, their contents leaking at the sound of the unhappy children.

  
“Here.” He opened his arms to his brother. “I can take them now.”

  
Slowly, Thor handed his kids to his sibling, extricating his hair from their fingers. His blue eyes were not on his children, however. They were lock on the pale bosom and the dark, lined blue contrast that surrounded it. They finally alighted on the horns, scanning their curved arch before returning to the chest region. The Frost Giant cleared his throat, very much aware of what was happening. The other god quickly diverted his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, his focus on the floor over to his left.

  
Shifting the babies so that they latched quickly, Loki looked at his brother, his brow furrowed in thought. “I...uh...understand that this is hard for you, Brother. I wish I could make this easier for you. So much has changed in such a short amount of time. Losing Jane has not just effected you, but every one of us. She was a remarkable woman, and your children will be raised knowing that. I promise.”

  
The King nodded slowly. “That almost seems like the least of the changes that have happened. I feel like a horrible person, the worst husband, saying that, but my time with Jane was like the summer, short and hot and wonderful, but limited. Fleeting, as if Father had never condoned our love. I am grateful for the time we did have together, though. Twenty-five wonderful years. More than I would have had if she were mortal and living with that parasitic disease. She was the love of my life, but the loss of her is not the craziest change that has occurred in the last year and a half. I thought I knew my life, my duty, my station, my views, only to have them changed in the blink of an eye.”

  
Loki bowed his head, his loose braid falling over his shoulder, aware that his brother was talking about him. “I...remember those days, long past, of hearing the tales of my older brother’s valor against the savage Frost Giants of Jotunnheim, of running to your room in the middle of the night, terrified that some random creak was one of the monsters that were coming to get me, and how you would let me into your bed and promise that you would protect me. How you swore to slay them all like the vile creatures they appeared to be. Just to keep me from harm. I remember our first campaigns together, our hunts, and how I thought that, no matter what I did, I would never escape your shadow. In fact, there were times when that’s all I was, the little tag-along to the golden boy of Asgard who fought dirty and used seidr, like a woman. Unmanly, unwanted, unloved, and I tried to prove them wrong, tried to show that I could be a man too. I could be a warrior that you and Odin could be proud of. So I ruined your coronation by leading the Frost Giants in. It was supposed to be a harmless prank, a way of showing Odin that you were not ready, but then we went to Jotunnheim.” He shook his head before raising his Jotunn eyes to his brother’s blue Aesir orbs.

  
“Why are you telling me this?” Thor’s brow was furrowed, though his gaze was still diverted.

  
“Did you know that I thought I was cursed?” He snorted, tossing his horns at the ridiculous thought. “I thought that _that_ was the reason I was such an outsider. Even after I was grabbed, my armor was burned away, and I began to turn blue, I never thought that I’d be one of them.” The Jotunn observed his ridged left arm as it held Torsten , his mind flashing back to that instant when it had turned the first time.  

“The blue felt warm, uncontained. It was so strange and I was terrified. I made a rash decision to not only touch the Casket, but to grab it, hold it. It called to me, singing the song of winter. And it changed me, not just externally, but internally as well. That was when I began to realize that we were not brothers and that I did not belong to Asgard.

  
“I confronted Odin and he told be about my true heritage, my true parentage. That knowledge, knowing that I was an unwanted runt of the king of the monsters, cast out and left to die only to be taken by the All-Father to be used and manipulated into a bringer of peace between my world and yours, instantly revealed something to me. I am the God of Lies because my life, up to that point, _was_ a lie, a falsehood layered over me and through me until I didn’t know who I was - _what_ I was.

  
“That knowledge, Thor, has been the driving force behind my last twenty-five years. I am not Aesir. I am the monster parents tell their children about at night. I am the beast of winter that you wanted to eradicate. I am a wild and untamable Jotunn, as changing and unpredictable as the snows, and yet I feel like a poised and honor-bound Aesir, as steady as the sun. Things are still frightening me, changes are still happening, there are things that I am capable of that I never thought were possible. And yet, through all of that, I am the happiest I have been since that first time that you let a frightened little boy into your bed. Change is inevitable but, ultimately, it is a good thing, Brother. It will bring you such joy and, eventually, peace, once you accept that you have no control over it.”

  
The two men stood in silence, their eyes locked. Loki had hoped that he had reached a new point of understanding with his brother over his true nature. He was still the same man, though less broken from his lack of acceptance within society. He was an outcast in both the worlds in which he resided and he had come to accept that. He would never truly belong. He was Jotunn but was a runt that contained the features that were associated with the Frost Giants who were savage and filled with a berserker’s bloodlust, even if he displayed rather refined behaviors. He was Aesir too, raised a prince with proper schooling, but he inhabited a body that instilled fright and violence among the people. He was unnatural, bearing children while still calling himself a man. And now the life-mate bond had entered his life when he had thought it never would, and it was found, not only with a man, but the man that had been his brother for 1,068 years, would certainly lead to further insecurity and scrutiny from a society that did not accept same-sex partners. Which is why Thor would never discover it - his deepest secret.

  
Loki’s thoughts shifted as the little one’s finished, their bellies full of the warm nourishment, making them sleepy. Carefully removing Daryn from his sensitive nipple, Loki held her out with one arm. “Please, could you burp her for me?”

  
Thor smiled and nodded, his eyes connecting with his daughter’s sleepy blue pair. As the Jotunn settled Torsten onto his robe-clad shoulder and began to pat his back firmly, he listened as his brother babbled to his precious little girl. It was a heart-warming sight, the father and daughter engrossed with each other so fully. It was as if he and the heir did not even exist. Loki smiled. Thor was a good father, he had just needed to be reminded of it. 


	81. Chapter 81

The time flew by, the sadness mingled with joy, the darkness pierced by light.

  
The mortal holiday of Christmas was still celebrated, held in honor of Jane, who had first introduced the tradition. The gathering was small, Loki with Aiko, Thor with the twins, and Frigga. There was little fanfare, and little joy that first Christmas. The Jotunn recalled the previous Christmas with the promise of new life and the overly excited Jane, the beautiful portraits that Aiko had painted, now out of date, two of their number gone to the halls of the dead.

  
Their gifts were simple, but heart-felt. Frigga had given her boys tapestries that she had woven by hand through the year. Thor’s depicted an elaborate hunt scene in the bright colors of summer, Loki’s contained the vast wastes of Jotunnheim in vivid blues and grays. Aiko received her own studio. It was a remodel of her sitting room, which she’d been using as a studio anyway, but this room contained much less furniture and a lot more easels.

  
Aiko had given everyone painting’s, many of which were being put on display in the royal gallery. Frigga’s painting was completed prior to Jane’s death and the teenager did not want to change it. The portrait was relatively simple, with Thor sitting cross legged, Jane wrapped in his arms, the twins held in hers. The adults were looking lovingly at the babies and the babies were looking up at the adults, smiling. Loki finally got an Aiko portrait of herself where she was twirling in her flowing purple corseted gown in a field of wild flowers, her face youthful and filled with unbounded joy. Thor’s painting made everyone cry. The blackness seemed to surround the figure in the center, wearing ghostly grey and reaching forward in a comforting manner. Jane’s face was youthful but her hair had its white streaks that she had died with. Her expression was loving and serene, like she had found peace and had wanted to share it with her husband.

  
Loki’s gifts were less luxurious than the previous year. He had enchanted Aiko’s camera to run without a battery and had purchased a printer so that the images could be put into frames. Frigga received a small collection of rare herbs that he had gathered while visiting Helbindi in Jotunnheim. For Thor, he gave his sketchpad, originally meant for his daughter, his drawings rather shoddy in comparison to her own, until it had become a small journal, documenting his pregnancy. Passages ranged from gut-wrenching to rather hilarious and he felt that his brother might appreciate it.

  
The New Year was rung in with a large feast, though none of the royal family felt particularly like celebrating. Aiko was pleased because the feast meant that she was able to spend time with Ren outside of school hours. Loki watched the young pair, very much aware of how Ren was feeling and felt a wave of mutual pity sweep through him as ozone continued to play at his nostrils, a comforting and constant smell in every aspect of his life. He was glad that Volstagg had insisted on having this feast. While the Jotunn remained firmly in his seat, away from the festivities, he watched his daughter come to life with the young half-Jotunn twirling along the dance floor, pleased and grateful that she had found true happiness.

  
Near the middle of the month, Thor, Loki and Aiko had taken a trip to Midgard to welcome Frederick Grant Barton, a healthy red-headed baby boy with eyes that pierced the soul, just like his mother. During their visit, they also brought another round of Idunn’s apples, keeping the Avenger’s in top shape. As strange as it was for Loki, being back on Midgard where everything had subsequently fallen apart and been repaired, he was glad to be away from the ugly politics of Asgard, as well as the constant reminders of Jane that seemed to be everywhere.

  
On the eve of Loki’s name day, he had been roused from sleep by the sound of crying. Quickly, so as not to wake Aiko, the Jotunn stole from his bed and wound his way to the nursery. The little ones, now four and a half months old, had been better at sleeping through most of the night, but nightmares happened and Thor, while a wonderful father, did not always here their soft cries. When he opened the solid, oaken door, it was not the twins who were in need of comfort. His brother sat on the floor, his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking. “Thor?” Loki asked quietly, shutting the door behind him.

  
The blonde head of the King jerked up to reveal wide, teary eyes. The older god sniffled and began to wipe his eyes on the sleeve of his robe. “I’m sorry, Loki. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  
The statement came out as an ashamed mumble as Thor continued to pull himself together in an attempt to hide his already exposed tears. Slowly, he stood, not taking his eyes from the floor.

  
The Jotunn quickly walked to his brother and wrapped his cool arms about the larger man. “Do not be sorry for my sake. I am glad that I found you. Come, let’s return you to bed, shall we? You can tell me what is troubling you.”

  
Lovingly and gently, Loki steered his upset sibling from the nursery and into the rooms he had once shared with his wife. The sitting room was littered with charts, a large chalkboard with an image of Yggdrasil, stacks of notes were thrown haphazardly around the furniture, untouched since Jane had passed. The Jotunn’s heart dropped through the floor. He instantly knew why Thor was crying in the nursery. He had not even tried to move on, to remember but to find peace. His brother was still living like Jane was going to walk back into their rooms, a stack of ancient texts in her hands, a bright smile upon her face.

  
The King of Asgard paused in the center of the research-filled room with a sad sigh. His younger brother gently squeezed his brother’s shoulders. “Come, Thor. Let’s get you to bed,” he whispered comfortingly, using his leverage over his brother’s shoulders to continue to steer him towards his bedroom. The King stifled a soft sob before allowing himself to be lead from the room.

  
Gently, Loki turned the plush, scarlet and navy sheets down and sat his larger sibling on the soft mattress. Thor obediently laid down, one arm cradling his head of tangled, golden locks, the other wrapped securely around his middle. The older god sighed as the Jotunn pulled the sheets up to his brother’s bearded chin. “There Thor,” the All-Father said softly, unable to stop himself from running his claw-tipped fingers over the other man’s brow. “Try to sleep. Tomorrow is a new day bringing the promise of new life.”

  
Slowly he turned, leaving his brother in the darkness of his room. A warm hand grabbed his wrist, stopping his clawed feet in their tracks. The Jotunn’s heart began to race, the heated rush of arousal flooding his limbs and his mutilated nether region. His ruby eyes went wide as warmth rushed to his cheeks. The scent of rain and ozone washed over him in that instant, the presence of his brother’s scent coating every part of his being.

  
“Please, Loki. Stay. Keep the monsters away.” The deep voice of his brother had developed a child-like quality, the hand tugging with a sense of urgency. Memories of his childhood rushed through the blue man’s mind, of monsters in his mind and how his brother had allowed him to sleep beside him, even when he had rather been spending the night wrapped in the arms of a busty barmaid.

  
His feelings, twisted and wrong as they were, reared their ugly heads. This would get him nearer to what his body craved, what his very nature was pulling him towards. Loki stuffed the emotions, unwanted and terrifying, into the back of his mind as he turned around. “You know that I _am_ a monster, right?” He smirked, half of his fangs glinting in the moonlight, chuckling softly.

  
His brother’s eyes roved over his body as if seeing the Frost Giant for the first time. “All the more reason for you to stay and scare the rest away.”

  
His voice was again soft and barely audible, his need for comfort prevalent across his face. His utter sadness and need for love broke what was left of Loki’s already unstable defenses. He smiled kindly. “Of course, Brother. I will stay until you fall asleep.”

  
He clambered onto the soft bed, the mattress dipping under his weight and sat beside the other man, his back resting against the headboard. He allowed his hand to lay on his brother’s shoulder in a comforting gesture. What he had not expected, however, was Thor’s large, warm hand coming to settle on top of it as the older god shifted, rolling from his side to his back. The action laid the golden god’s long, muscled body along the Jotunn’s lean, cool legs, causing Loki to shiver. The sheets and coverlets that surrounded the king kept the contrasting temperatures from seeping too heavily into either brother but provided comfort in the knowledge of the closeness they shared.

  
“Thank you, Brother.” Thor’s hot breath danced along his younger sibling’s hand and lower arm. A sleepy smile played upon the god’s face, reflected in the blue face above him.

  
“No, thank you, Brother,” the Jotunn breathed. “Thank you for staying by my side always, even when I was undeserving of your support or your hope for my future. Your hope that I would become a better man.”

  
“Of course, Loki. You’re my little brother. I love you.” The statement, completed with the tired grin on his brother’s face, caused the bond within the blue man to ignite. He squeezed his eyes shut against the sensation, the burning need that flooded his very soul. His gums ached, his fangs seemed to sharped within his mouth. The urge to mark and mate suddenly became overwhelming though the Jotunn strove to combat the feeling by focusing on his breathing syncing it to his brother’s as it became calmer and deeper, sleep finally coming to the king.

  
As Thor’s rumbling snore began to echo around the chamber, the Jotunn murmured, “I love you, too. So very much. You have no idea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To Be Continued...


End file.
